Bayanihan at Sea

May 22, 2019

During a recent, productive trip to the factory, we hosted a gathering at the historic Corregidor Island, at the mouth of Manila Bay. It was on May 4th, and the fourth was indeed with us.

It was a special event, as key members from our factory, our partners, Kayak Philippines members, as well as TRAK 2.0 "backers" and Palawan tour participants gathered to celebrate the introduction of the new kayak, and our special connection and relationship with the Philippines. This event was "marked" with a wonderful article written for the Philippine STAR Weekly, Bayanihan at Sea.

The event was a moment in time for TRAK. It was a chance to really acknowledge the special spirit of the Philippines, that we have been privy to over the past 6 years of working in the country, and to celebrate the global launch of the TRAK 2.0 ultimate touring kayak.

In Philippine culture, it is a traditional concept called "Bayanihan" that represents a collective view, a spirit of community effort, a "lifting up" that is at the heart of the Filipino. Literally, the act of Bayanihan involves members of a village coming together to lift and carry someone's house from one part of a village to another, or to a new area. There is nothing "tangible" in it for that person. They do it because it helps that member of the community and the collective communal benefit. It is this spirit that we've observed and revered since moving our factory to Mariveles, Bataan in 2012.