On 20 November 2025, Shangri-La Boracay conducted ‘Paddlers of Tomorrow,’ a two-part program designed to celebrate the cultural roots of dragon boating while promoting community involvement, youth development, guest engagement, and employee participation. The initiative highlighted the sport as both an evolving competitive discipline and a meaningful form of art and heritage that Shangri-La continues to champion.
Rooted in over 2,000 years of history, dragon boating began during the Duanwu Festival in ancient China, where communities paddled together to honor the poet Qu Yuan. Through centuries, this tradition transformed into a global sport admired for its teamwork, rhythm, discipline, and vibrant cultural symbolism. Today, it remains a powerful platform for unity,
bridging generations, cultures, and communities through synchronized movement and shared purpose.
Morning Interactive Session: Engaging Youth, Community, Guests, and Colleagues
The morning session, held in coordination with the Boracay Dragon Boat Association led by Hannah Fernando, brought together youth from the community, students from Lamberto Tirol National High School, Shangri-La Boracay colleagues, and resort guests. Designed as an immersive introductory experience, the session opened with a short discussion on the origins of dragon boating, its cultural importance, and the need to sustain the tradition.
Participants then joined a guided warm-up followed by an open-water paddling experience, where they learned proper paddling form, synchronization, and safety. An energetic, joyful display of teamwork and community spirit that embodied the very essence of dragon boating.
Afternoon Session: An In-Depth Workshop for Young Learners
In the afternoon, the program continued at Lamberto Tirol National High School with a more extensive workshop tailored for students. This session provided a deeper understanding of the sport, its rich origin story, the evolution of racing formats, the structure of competitions, safety protocols, correct paddling techniques, and the importance of sustaining dragon boating as both a sport and cultural practice.
Guided by Leaders of the Sport
Both sessions were led by Philippine Dragon Boat Federation (PDBF) along with the support of Boracay Dragon Boat Association, which helped create meaningful opportunities to inspire and develop the Paddlers of Tomorrow.