balik sa dagat bangka journey is truly honored to launch at NAPIESV‘s 1st summit our first creative healing session with a focus on healing from and to end sexual violence whether as survivors, friends and/or family members of survivors. the morning session included an introduction to balik sa dagat bangka journey, how we started and our shared interest in healing. talk stories on healing from ancestral wounds relating to colonial powers, spanish friars who had “relations” with islander women and left behind many children who are descendants of such “relations” ~ one such description in dr jose rizal‘s book noli mi tangere; and deconstructing the colonial mentality of oppression via the bangka, a sacred vessel where one is to be one in mind, body and spirit. healing self in order to heal others. a symbol of the ocean was utilized to show the connection of you and i via the waters, via water vessels. yours truly shared a brief demonstration on how to build mini-vessels via origami, recycled paper and various craft items was shown. creativity highly encouraged with reminders of our connection to mother earth, the ocean and healing as we return to the ocean, balik sa dagat bangka journey continues…….