Google celebrates Regatta de Zamboanga with special doodle

In solidarity with the celebration of Regatta de Zamboanga, Google replaces its  homepage logo on Sunday with a special doodle depicting the sailing competition in the southern Philippines.

Regatta de Zamboanga, a competition highlighting fishermen's maritime skills, is the highlight of the Zamboanga Hermosa Festival honoring its patron saint, the La Virgen Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragoza.

Every October, thousands of people gather along the kilometer-long stretch of the R.T. Lim Boulevard in Zamboanga City to watch hundreds of vintas, or traditional outrigger boats, and their colorful sails race along the coastline.

The racers are mostly Bajau fishermen from coastal villages such as Sinunuc, Maasin, Labuan, Mariki, and the island of Santa Cruz. Each boat has two people paddling toward victory.

Google Doodles are temporary alterations of the search engine's homepage's logo to pay tribute to countries' particular holidays, events, achievements, and notable historical figures. —LBG, GMA News