Fil-Am pays tribute to ancient Pinoy mariners in historic voyage

As her way of paying tribute to ancient Filipino mariners, Filipino-American Jocelyn Ancheta joined the prestigious Vaka Pacific Voyagers who sail across the Pacific using traditionally based Polynesian deep sea canoes. According to a report of the news site Asian Journal on February 1, Ancheta was the only Filipino among the crew of the flotilla of seven "vaka moanas" or traditional Polynesian sea vessels. The website of the Pacific Voyagers said the group aims to promote the caring and healing of the sea. "Our Polynesian ancestors respected and cared for the sea. As we follow in their wake on our journey, we carry with us Te Mana o Te Moana, as we venture forth raising awareness to help heal our ocean. Like our forefathers had done thousands of years before us, we travel using traditional Vaka Moana, voyaging canoes," the Pacific Voyagers said. "Demographically, our crews vary. We have come together from many islands, men and women, young and older, to sail our seven vaka as one," it added. The voyage began in Aotearoa, New Zealand in April 2011. They sailed to Tahiti, The Marquesas, and throughout Hawaii. They then sailed down the California coast, starting in San Francisco, and concluded their voyage in San Diego. On January 24 this year, the voyagers left Spanish Landing West, San Diego, California for the third leg of their journey. In this leg, they will sail through Cabo San Lucas Mexico, the Cocos Islands of Costa Rica, the Galapagos islands, the Marquesas islands, and the islands of Tahiti. In the Asian Journal article, Ancheta said: "I am so proud to be able to honor and represent my ancestors and their traditional ways of sailing and navigation as part of the Vaka.”

 

The report described Ancheta as an active community organizer, who "volunteers for the Center for Babaylan Studies, a group dedicated to the indigenous spiritual knowledge systems of the pre-colonial Philippines." Ancheta said she hopes to inspire other Filipinos to "appreciate the great legacy of the ancient Bangka boat tradition.” - VVP, GMA News