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The vast expanse of open sea that comprises Austronesia has authored the most fascinating story in the history of early human expansion and cultural movement. It is imperative to understand this early movement in the context of Austronesia's 'boat culture complex 'where material environment, maritime environment, technology, and the people's maritime tradition (boatbuilding and sailing) formed an interacting complex, with a change in one affecting the others, providing the stimulus for the evolution of Austronesian boats and its corresponding impact on the development of the early maritime societies of Austronesia. The profound implication of these development on the Philippines is the chronological evolution of boats from rafts to dugout to plank boats and finally to outrigger boats. The study suggests the evolution of Philippines boats have a corresponding effect on the development of early Philippine society from the cave habitation sites during the Paleolithic (67,000-5,000 BP) to coastal/riverine sedentary settlements in the Neolithic (5,000 BP -500 AD) and the more permanent villages by the metal period (500 -900 AD) towards the Baranganic society until the 16th century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]