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Capitol, Butuan City – In a press conference held at Almont Inland Resort, Butuan City, November 29, 2009, CAD/PGO Chief Daniel M. Calo and son Nico were conferred the title of “Crew” to “Butwan Balanghai” after having passed a 15-day OJT of Team Everest/Team Balangay led by expedition leader and skipper of “Diwata ng Lahi”, Mr. Art T. Valdez.
As full-fledged members of Team Balangay, father and son will join 26 other crews composed of Badjao sailors, Navy SOGS, Coastguards, Team Everest and Team Butuan in a 120-day historic voyage of the balangay to Southeast Asia on January 15, 2010 following the Nanhai trading route used by our forefathers a thousand years or so ago. From the Luna Compound in Barangay Bading, Butuan City, two balangay boats: “Diwata ng Lahi” and “Butwan” will sail following the Mindanao coastline to Zamboanga, Cotabato and Davao, then, proceed to Tawi-Tawi. From there the voyage will sail to Sabah, Brunei, Singapore, Peninsular Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Taiwan and back to the Philippines and to its home in Butuan. Being the only tourism officer in the voyage, Mr. Calo will serve as voyage liaison tourism officer who will coordinate with his receiving tourism officer counterparts in all Southeast Asian countries they will be passing through. In this epic and historic voyage, father and son serve as ambassadors of goodwill for Cabadbaran City , Agusan del Norte, Caraga region and the country. (Edgar M. Palarca, Jr.) |
