2 September 2010 - The Philippine Everest Team onboard three balangay vessels successfully docked at the Kinabalu Yacht Club at Kota Kinabalu last August 21, the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur reported.
The Philippine Everest Team and Kaya ng Pinoy, Inc. brought 37 crew members that set sail from the Philippines using three exact replicas of the pre-colonial sailing vessel.
Arturo 'Art' T. Valdez, leader of the 1st Philippine Mt. Everest Expedition and former Transportation and Communications Undersecretary, led the team.Among the members of the team were Leo Oracion, the first Filipino to ever reach the summit of Mt. Everest, and Janet Belarmino-Sardena, another Filipino climber to reach the summit and the youngest mother to do so.
Philippine Consul Melchor P. Lalunio welcomed and assisted the team during their stay in Kota Kinabalu.
The visit was part of its international maiden voyage to retrace the historical pre-colonial trade and migration routes of Southeast Asia and China.
The vessels first made a stopover in Sandakan before arriving in Kota Kinabalu and then will proceed to Brunei, Sarawak, Singapore, Indonesia, Peninsular Malaysia, Vietnam and China.
The voyage aims to foster the consciousness and shared cultural ties among Southeast Asian countries and China.
Their journey has attracted the attention of local media, with features on local English dailies such as the Daily Express, the Star, and New Sabah Times. END