Bahangka

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer. This is interesting.

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MANILA, Philippines—With floods expected to last a few more months in the foreshore towns around Laguna Lake, there is a need for a simple boat to ferry people and goods through flooded streets. The boat should be capable of being pulled, poled or paddled through the water. It should be light enough to be carried above obstructions or the occasional shallow water, but can still take a good-sized load.

Called PHBYC bahangka (short for pangbaha na bangka), the boat has been tested for load-bearing capacity and stability. Capable of carrying up to six people, it is practically unsinkable because of its flotation chambers. However, it should not be used in strong currents.

Easy to build for P2,500
Technically a punt (flat-bottomed boat), the bahangka is cheap and easy to build, with minimal waste of materials. It can be built using simple hand tools like a saw, hammer, plane and measuring tape at a cost of about P2,500.

The boat was designed by members of the Philippine Home Boatbuilders Yacht Club (PHBYC), the only organization of home-boat builders in the country. The PHBYC (www.pinoyboats.org) has built 18 bahangkas with the help of its sponsors and distributed them to various Red Cross chapters and local governments.

Materials
2 pieces, ¼-inch marine plywood (actually 5-mm thick) for sides of boat and flotation chamber
1 piece, ½-inch marine plywood (actually 10-mm thick) for the bottom
5 pieces, 1x1 kiln-dried tanguile or lauan for battens
2 pieces, 1x2x8 kiln-dried tanguile or lauan
1 piece, 1x2x12 kiln-dried tanguile or lauan
1 liter of epoxy glue, ½ kilo of ¾-inch common-wire nails, 1 gallon of epoxy or enamel paint

Cut the ¼-inch plywood using the cutting guide for the sides. (Illustration 1: Side panels cutting guide).

Full article at the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Here's the original forum discussion with a bigger photo of the boat design from Pinoyboats.org