This is a Narrative report on our literacy program for the Badjao community in Batangas

City.

RATIONALE
We chose to advocate on childrens rights, particularly their right to access to education
and proper nutrition.
We were able to come up with the idea of educating the Badjaos because we often
notice them begging on the streets, knocking on peoples cars or riding a jeepney and singing
there to solicit money. They should not be there on the streets. They should be studying.
Badjaos are out of school children and are perceived by some as a menace to the
society. We have heard of people commenting that their existence serves no purpose and that
the Badjao kids persistence in begging for money had caused them great inconvenience.
Motorists and jeepney drivers claim that in worse cases, they meet road accidents as some kids
would suddenly cross the street and they had to swerve to avoid hitting them. There were also
times when the kids who board jeepneys without the drivers consent would fall from the jeepney
and later, the poor drivers would be blamed for the mishap.
When we were children, we had a share of unfortunate encounters with the Badjaos too.
They would often grab our food to the extent of chasing us. They would threaten us that if we do
not give money, they will poke our eyes out or worse, they will subject as to evil sorcery (kulam).
During Christmas season, the number of Badjaos on the streets increases. The adults would be
seen carrying their children with them as they beg. This could be one of the reasons why the
kids grow up to beg too. They think of the act of begging as a natural thing. They expect that
they would survive the day if they could get one person to shell out some money for them.
However, while the Badjaos seem to view this as customary; we think that this scenario
calls for intervention. The Badjao children should be given a chance to correct their erroneous
perception that they dont need education...that they could get by through begging. More
importantly, the parents should be taught that their children deserve to be educated. Both the
children and their parents need to understand the value of education and its important role in
shaping their lives.
An old adage says that if you want to help a hungry person, you should not give him fish
but you should teach them how to fish. If we could teach the Badjaos some skills, they would be
able to pursue a better livelihood. If we can teach them how to read and write, they can realize
that there are better opportunities that come by being a literate person. They would no longer be
fooled and their ignorance would no longer be used against them.
We think that the first step in achieving this is to teach the children. And so we embark
on a literacy project for the children of the Badjao community.

VIOLATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

Before we start with our plan, we identified some violation of human rights which are
evident upon observing the plight of the Badjao tribe, to wit:
Article 3, The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child:
States Parties shall ensure that the institutions, services and facilities responsible for the care or
protection of children shall conform with the standards established by competent authorities,
particularly in the areas of safety, health, in the number and suitability of their staff, as well as
competent supervision.
Article 19, same:
1. States Parties shall take all appropriate legislative, administrative, social and educational
measures to protect the child from all forms of physical or mental violence, injury or abuse,
neglect or negligent treatment, maltreatment or exploitation, including sexual abuse, while in the
care of parent(s), legal guardian(s) or any other person who has the care of the child.
Article 24, same:
1. States Parties recognize the right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable
standard of health and to facilities for the treatment of illness and rehabilitation of health. States
Parties shall strive to ensure that no child is deprived of his or her right of access to such health
care services.
2. States Parties shall pursue full implementation of this right and, in particular, shall take
appropriate measures:
(a) To diminish infant and child mortality;
(b) To ensure the provision of necessary medical assistance and health care to all children with
emphasis on the development of primary health care;
(c) To combat disease and malnutrition, including within the framework of primary health
care, through, inter alia, the application of readily available technology and through the
provision of adequate nutritious foods and clean drinking-water, taking into
consideration the dangers and risks of environmental pollution;
(d) To ensure appropriate pre-natal and post-natal health care for mothers;
(e) To ensure that all segments of society, in particular parents and children, are
informed, have access to education and are supported in the use of basic knowledge of
child health and nutrition, the advantages of breastfeeding, hygiene and environmental
sanitation and the prevention of accidents;
(f) To develop preventive health care, guidance for parents and family planning education and
services.

3. States Parties shall take all effective and appropriate measures with a view to abolishing
traditional practices prejudicial to the health of children.
4. States Parties undertake to promote and encourage international co-operation with a view to
achieving progressively the full realization of the right recognized in the present article. In this
regard, particular account shall be taken of the needs of developing countries.
Article 28, same:
1. States Parties recognize the right of the child to education, and with a view to achieving this
right progressively and on the basis of equal opportunity, they shall, in particular:
(a) Make primary education compulsory and available free to all;
(b) Encourage the development of different forms of secondary education, including general
and vocational education, make them available and accessible to every child, and take
appropriate measures such as the introduction of free education and offering financial
assistance in case of need;
(c) Make higher education accessible to all on the basis of capacity by every appropriate
means;
(d) Make educational and vocational information and guidance available and accessible to all
children;
(e) Take measures to encourage regular attendance at schools and the reduction of drop-out
rates.
Article 31, same
1. States Parties recognize the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and
recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life
and the arts.
2. States Parties shall respect and promote the right of the child to participate fully in cultural
and artistic life and shall encourage the provision of appropriate and equal opportunities for
cultural, artistic, recreational and leisure activity.
Article 32, same
1. States Parties recognize the right of the child to be protected from economic exploitation and
from performing any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child's education,
or to be harmful to the child's health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development.
Article 36, same:
States Parties shall protect the child against all other forms of exploitation prejudicial to any
aspects of the child's welfare.

PROFILE
We know that dealing with people who have a different culture from us can be
challenging, so we made a research to make sure we get things right. Here is what we
discovered:

Total population:
At least 470,000, in the Philippines; At least 410,000 in Sabah, Malaysia;1 Unknown in other
countries in Indonesia & Southeast Asian region.

1 Monthly Statistical Bulletin, January 2007: Sabah", Department of Statistics Malaysia, Sabah.
ISSN 18231659

Regions with significant populations:

Philippines
(Sulu Archipelago, Zamboanga Peninsula, Mindanao)
Malaysia
(Sabah)
Indonesia
(Kalimantan, Madura, Nusa Tenggara, Sulawesi)
Brunei
elsewhere
Languages:
SamaBajaw languages,2 Chabacano, Malay,
Bahasa Sug, Bahasa Indonesia, English
Religion
Sunni Islam (majority),
Folk Islam, Animism, Christianity
Related ethnic groups
Tausug, Yakan
Orang Laut, other Moros,
Malays, Orang Laut, Cham
other Austronesian peoples
The Bajau (/bd/, also spelled Badjao, Bajaw, Bajao, Bajo, Badjau, or Badjaw),
are a Moro indigenous ethnic group of Maritime Southeast Asia. The Bajau continue to live a
seaborne lifestyle, making use of small wooden sailing vessels (such as the perahu and vinta).
They are also known as Sama or Samal.
The Bajau are traditionally from the many islands of the Sulu Archipelago in the
Philippines, as well as parts of the coastal areas of Mindanao and northern Borneo. In the last
fifty years, many of the Filipino Bajau have migrated to neighbouring Malaysia and the northern
islands of the Philippines, due to the continuing conflict in the Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao. Currently, they are the second largest ethnic group in the Malaysian state of Sabah,
making up 13.4%3 of the total population. Groups of Bajau have also migrated to Sulawesi and
Kalimantan in Indonesia, although figures of their exact population are unknown.4
Bajau have sometimes been referred to as the "Sea Gypsies", although the term has
been used to encompass a number of non-related ethnic groups with similar traditional
2 Kauman Sama Online. "What Language do the Badjao Speak?". Retrieved 2013-02-23.
3 Supra at note 1.
4 Lotte Kemkens. Living on Boundaries: The Orang Bajo of Tinakin Laut, Indonesia (Social
Anthropology Bachelor's thesis). University of Utrecht. Retrieved March 21, 2011.

lifestyles, such as the Moken of the Burmese-Thai Mergui Archipelago and the Orang Laut of
southeastern Sumatra and the Riau Islands of Indonesia. The modern outward spread of the
Bajau from older inhabited areas seems to have been associated with the development of sea
trade in sea cucumber (trepang).

Term
Like the term Kadazan-dusun, Bajau is a collective term, used to describe several
closely related indigenous groups. These Bajau groups also blend culturally with the Sama
groups into what is most properly called the SamaBajau people. Historically the term "Sama"
was used to describe the more land-oriented and settled SamaBajau groups, while "Bajau"
was used to describe the more sea-oriented, boat-dwelling, nomadic groups. Even these
distinctions are fading as the majority of Bajaus have long since abandoned boat living, most for
Samastyle piling houses in the coastal shallows. Today, the greatest feature distinguishing the
"Bajau" from the "Sama" is their poverty.
The SamaBajau peoples speak some ten languages of the SamaBajau subgroup of
the Western Malayo-Polynesian language family.5
History
The exact origin of the word "Bajau" is unclear. It is generally accepted that these groups
of people can be termed Bajau, though they never call themselves Bajau. Instead, they call
themselves with the names of their tribes, usually the place they live or place of origin. They
accept the term Bajau because they realise that they share some vocabulary and general
genetic characteristic such as in having darker skin, although the Simunul appear to be an
exception in having fairer skin.
British administrators in Sabah classified the Sama as "Bajau" and labelled them as
such in their birth certificates. During their time in Malaysia, some have started labelling
themselves as their ancestors called themselves, such as Simunul. For political reasons and to
ensure easy access to the special privileges granted to ethnic Malays, many have started
calling themselves Malay. This is especially true for recent Moro Filipino migrants.
For most of their history, the Bajau have been a nomadic, seafaring people, living off the
sea by trading and subsistence fishing.6 The boat dwelling Bajau see themselves as nonaggressive people. They kept close to the shore by erecting houses on stilts, and traveled using
lepa-lepa, handmade boats which many lived in. 7 Although historically originating from the
5 Clifford Sather, "The Bajau Laut", Oxford U. Press, 1997
6 "The last of the sea nomads". The Guardian. September 18, 2010. Archived from the original
on September 18, 2010. Retrieved September 18, 2010.
7 Ibid.

southern Philippine coasts, Sabahan Sama legend narrates that they are descended from
members of the royal guard of the Johor Sultanate, after the fall of the Malacca Empire, who
settled along the east coast of Borneo after being driven there by storms. Another version goes
that a Johorean princess was washed away by a flood. In his grief her father ordered his
subjects to sea to return only when they had found his daughter.
However, there are traces that Sama people came from Riau Archipelago especially
Lingga Island more than 300 years ago. It is believed by some that the migration process of
Samah to North West Borneo took place more than 100 years earlier, starting from trade with
the Empire of Brunei (the Johorean princess who in the origin myth was a royal bride being sent
to Sulu but was kidnapped by the Prince of Brunei). With the overthrow of the legitimate Sultan
of Johor by Bugis conquerors, the Sama people fled to the western coast of North Borneo,
where they felt safe to live under the protection of the Brunei Sultanate. That is why native
Kadazan-Dusun call Sama people as "tuhun" or "tulun Sama ("people of Sama") in their
dialects, the form of recognition before the arrival of westerners. It was believed that Sama
people are not from the royalty of the Sultanate, but loyal workers, craftsmen, boat builders and
farmers that fled from cruelty of ethnic cleansing in chaotic Johor during aggression of the Bugis
taking over the throne of Johor.
Today the number of Bajau who are born and live primarily at sea is diminishing, partially
due to hotly debated government programs which have moved Bajau on to the mainland.[5]
Currently, there exists a huge settlement of Filipino Bajau in Pulau Gaya, off the Sabah coast.
Many of them are illegal immigrants on the Malaysian island. With the island as a base, they
frequently enter Sabah and find jobs as manual labourers.
Discrimination of Bajau (particularly from the dominant Tausg people, who have
historically viewed them as 'inferior', and less specifically from the majority Christian
Filipinos)8 and the continuing violence in Muslim Mindanao, have driven many Bajau to
begging, or to emigrate. They usually resettle in Malaysia and Indonesia, where they are less
discriminated against.9
Demographics and religion
The various Bajau sub-groups vary culturally, linguistically, and religiously. Religion can
vary from a strict adherence to Sunni Islam, forms of folk Islam, to animistic beliefs in spirits and
ancestor worship. There is a small minority of Catholics.
Sub-groups
Commonly, many sub-groups of Badjao are named after the place or island they live-in
for many years. Even though they are called Bajau, each sub-groups has their own unique
8 Mellie Leandicho Lopez (2006). A handbook of Philippine folklore. UP Press. p. 50. ISBN 971542-514-3.
9 Twilight of the Sea People, Vol. III (2), Philippine Center of Investigative Journalism, June
2001, retrieved March 21, 2011 and Edsel L. Beja (2006). Negotiating globalization in Asia.
Ateneo de Manila University Press. p. 286. ISBN 971-0426-01-X.

language, cultures and tradition. However, certain sub-groups are able to understand the
languages of other sub-groups. For example, some Bajau understand the Bajau Ubian
language, and the Bajau Ubian and Simunul in Sabah are able to understand and speak the
Tausug language called the Suluk language in Sabah. The general terms for the native
languages of the Bajau is ahasa ajau or Sinama.
Lists of Bajau sub-groups:
1. Ubian Originate from the island South Ubian in Tawi-Tawi, Philippines and make up
the largest Bajau sub-group in Sabah. They reside in sizable minorities living around the
towns of Kudat and Semporna in Sabah, Malaysia.
2. Bannaran - Another subgroup of Bajau originated from Bannaran Island in Tawi-Tawi.
Mostly found in Kudat, Kunak, Semporna and Tawau.
3. Sama - Commonly known as Bajau Kota Belud, because most of them live in or near
area of Kota Belud, Sabah. This is actually a misnomer as they can be found all over the
west coast of the state, and not just in Kota Belud. They call themselves Sama, not
Bajau and their neighbours, the Dusuns also call them Sama, not Bajau. British
administrators originally defined them as Bajau.
4. Samah/Sama Sulawesi Selatan' (Malaysia)[9]
5. Simunul Simunul people can be found at Kampung Bokara, Sandakan, Semporna
and Lahad Datu Towns. Simunul is an island in Tawi-Tawi where many Sama Simunul
are still found and are the majority there. They are known among the Bajau group for
having fair skin.
6. Samal (Philippines, Malaysia) A group native to the Philippines, a large number are
now residing around the coasts of northern Sabah, though many have also migrated
north to the seas around the Visayas and southern Luzon. The Samal are sometimes
considered distinct from the other Bajau.10 They are the largest single group of Bajau.[11]
7. Bajau Suluk - This sub-group, of mixed heritage Bajau and Tausug, live mostly in Kudat,
and have origins in the Philippines, hence, although living among Malay peoples for a
substantial part of their history, are also able to converse in the Tausug and Samal
languages.
8. Tando' Bas - This sub-group was rarely found in Sabah before 1970s. They had recently
migrated to Sabah from a place called Tando Bas in the Sulu Archipelago.
9. Ungus Matata - This sub-group was rarely found in Sabah before 1970s. They had
recently migrated to Sabah from a place called Ungus Matata in the Sulu Archipelago.
10. Tolen - This sub-group was found only at Bum-bum island, in Semporna, Sabah. No
trace of them anywhere else even in the Sulu Archipelago.
10 Harry Nimmo (1972). The sea people of Sulu: a study of social change in the Philippines.
Chandler Pub. Co. ISBN 0-8102-0453-3.

11. Pala'u or Bajau Laut - The word Pala'u in Bajau means boat-dwelling, but is by many
Bajau Laut considered derogatory, why they prefer the term Bajau Laut. This sub-group
originally lived on boats all the time but almost all have taken to living on land in the
Philippines. In Malaysia the boat-dwelling culture has been retained by some, but many
others have built homes on land.
12. Tabawan (Sulu, Malaysia) This sub-group was rarely found in Sabah before 1970s.
They have recently migrated to Sabah from an island called Tabawan, Tawi-tawi,
Philippines. They are now numerous in Sabah.
13. Banguingui or Balangingi Samal (Philippines, Malaysia) Native to the Philippines,
where the majority still live. This sub-group was rarely found in Sabah before 1970s.
Some have recently migrated to Sabah. The Balanguingui were once slavers and pirates
during the 16th to 19th centuries, capturing people from other nearby ethnic groups and
often integrating them into their own culture.11
14. Sikubung People from this sub-group were rare in Sabah before 1970s. They have
recently migrated to Sabah.
In Sarawak there are a number of Iban named Bajau (e.g. Beransah Bajau, Hillary Bajau)
The obvious migration pattern after 1970 is the obvious fallout of the armed fighting between
major Moro groups and Settler militia and Philippine Navy disrupting the traditional sea routes of
the sea loving Badjau.

Religion
Religions of Bajaus12
Religion
Islam
Christianity
Folk religion / Other religions
No religion / Unknown

Percent
95.26%
0.52%
0.08%
4.14%

Claims to religious piety and learning are an important source of individual prestige
among the coastal Bajau. Some of the Bajau lack mosques and must rely on the shore-based
communities such as those of the more Islamized or Malay peoples. The Ubian Bajau, due to
their nomadic marine lifestyle, are much less adherent to orthodox Islam, and practice more of a
syncretic folk hybrid, revering local sea spirits, known in Islamic terminology as Jinn.
11 James Francis Warren (2007). The Sulu zone, 17681898: the dynamics of external trade,
slavery, and ethnicity in the transformation of a Southeast Asian maritime state. NUS Press.
p. 184. ISBN 9971-69-386-0.
12 2010 Population and Housing Census of Malaysia" (in Malay and English). Department of
Statistics, Malaysia. Retrieved 2012-06-17. p. 107

Culture
The Regatta Lepa festival in Semporna, Sabah, Malaysia. Lepa means "boat" in the
dialect of east coast Bajau. In this festival, Bajau people decorate their boats with colorful flags.
Many Bajaus of the east coast retain their seaborne lifestyle, together with remnants of
traditional pre-Islamic beliefs. Traditional Bajau communities may have a dukun (i.e. a shaman)
and may adhere to taboos concerning the treatment of the sea and other cultural aspects. An
example of this is the offering of thanks to the Omboh Dilaut, the God of the Sea, whenever a
particularly large catch is brought in. The east coast Sabah Bajau are also famous for the
annual Semporna Regatta.
Among the boat-dwellers in particular, community spirit mediums are consulted at least
once a year for a public sance and nightly trance dancing. In times of epidemics, the mediums
are also called upon to remove illness causing spirits from the community. They do this by
setting a "spirit boat" adrift in the open sea beyond the village or anchorage.
It has been suggested by some researchers that Bajau people's visits to Arnhem Land
gave rise to the accounts of the mysterious Baijini|Jinn people in the myths of Australia's Yolngu
Aboriginals.13
Bajau fishermen make use of wooden sailing vessels known as perahu lambo for
voyages as far as Timor and Arafura seas. 14 The construction and launch of these craft are
ritualized, and the vessels are believe to have a spirit (Sumanga').15 Under a 1974
Memorandum of Understanding, "Indonesian traditional fishermen" are allowed to fish within the
Exclusive Economic Zone of Australia, which includes traditional fishing grounds of Bajau
fishers. However, illegal fishing encroachment of Corporate Sea Trawlers in these areas has led
to concern about overfishing[16] and destruction of Bajau vessels.16
Bajaus are also noted for their exceptional abilities in free-diving, with physical
adaptations that enable them to see better and dive longer underwater.[17] Divers work long days
with the "greatest daily apnea diving time reported in humans" of greater than 5 hours per day
submerged.[18] Some Bajau intentionally rupture their eardrums at an early age in order to
facilitate diving and hunting at sea. Many older Bajau are therefore hard of hearing.[5][17]

13 Berndt, Ronald Murray; Berndt, Catherine Helen (1954). Arnhem Land: its history and its
people. Volume 8 of Human relations area files: Murngin. F. W. Cheshire. p. 34
14 Stacey, Natasha (2007). Boats to burn: Bajo fishing activity in the Australian fishing zone.
Canberra, Australia: ANU E Press. ISBN 978-1-920942-95-3.
15 Ibid
16 Ibid.

The West Coast Bajau are expert equestrians this is their main claim to fame in
Malaysia, where horse riding has never been widespread anywhere else. Bajau people are also
well known for weaving and needlework skills.
Bajau have a unique type of dance called the Pangigal. It is common in wedding ceremonies for
native communities throughout Malaysia and the Sulu Archipelago. This dance is most famously
danced to the music Dayang-dayang. Numerous Music Videos of the Pangigal songs and
dances have been produced in Malaysia and distributed throughout Sabah and in the Sulu
Archipelago.
Notable Bajau

Mat Salleh (Datu Muhammad Salleh) - Sabah warrior from Inanam during the British
administration of North Borneo.

Tun Datu Mustapha (Tun Datu Mustapha bin Datu Harun) - First Yang di-Pertua Negeri
(Governor) of Sabah and third Chief Minister of Sabah.

Tun Said Keruak (Tun Datu Mohamad Said Keruak) - Former Chief Minister of Sabah
and Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of Sabah from Kota Belud.

Datuk Seri Panglima Salleh Said Keruak (Datu Mohd Salleh bin Tun Mohd Said Keruak)
- Former Chief Minister of Sabah from Kota Belud.

Tun Sakaran Dandai - Chief Minister of Sabah and Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of
Sabah from Semporna.

Tun Ahmadshah Abdullah - Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of Sabah from Inanam

Dato' Mohd Nasir Tun Sakaran (Dato' Mohd Nasir bin Tun Sakaran Dandai) - Sabah
Politician from Semporna.

Datuk Seri Hj Mohd Shafie Bin Apdal (Dato' Seri Hj Mohd Shafie Bin Apdal) - Malaysian
minister.

Osu Sukam (Datu Seri Panglima Osu bin Sukam) - Chief Minister of Sabah from Papar.

Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia - Speaker of the Dewan Rakyat, Parliament of Malaysia

Askalani Abdul Rahim (Datuk Askalani Bin Abdul Rahim) - Former Minister of Culture,
Youth and Sports Semporna.

Adam AF2 (Aizam Mat Saman) - Malaysian singer and actor, grandson of Tun
Ahmadshah Abdullah.

Norayu (Ayu) Damit - Malaysian singer and One in a Million (Season 2) champion.

Yanie (Siti Suriane Julkarim) - Malaysian singer in the popular TV shows of Mentor on
TV3

Planning Stage
We relayed our plan to teach the Badjao children every weekend to the City Social
Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO). Our contact person is Ms. Severina M. Coloma,
who is very active in pushing for the rights of the Badjao.

Human rights advocate. Mrs. Severina M. Coloma, employee of the CSWDO as she leads us
to the Badjao village.
Mrs. Coloma coordinated with the Badjao leaders in the community and she was able to
encourage a family of Badjaos to undergo our literacy program. We would teach them how to
read and write.

The Literacy Program

We teach every weekend at the Malitam Day Care Center.

Haven of learning. Malitam Day Care Center is reserved for school children in the
barangay. According to the Badjaos, they dont go to school. They wanted so much to attend
school in this place but they were told they couldnt for they were not registered. They need birth
certificates. Upon sharing this story with the CSWDO, they assured us that they were already on
the process of registering them with the NSO.

At first, we felt scared as we saw the children, who were with two adults in that time,
stared at us and scrutinized us from head to foot. However, we summoned the strength to
approach them in a cheerful manner and introduced ourselves formally. We were delighted to
find out how friendly they were and how eager they wanted to start the teaching sessions.
We asked for the background/profile of our students. We learned that they were brothers
and sisters and that four of them were cousins.
A year ago, they lost their father but they didnt elaborate on the details of their fathers
death. They came from a village of Badjaos several kilometres away from Malitam. To earn a
living, they sell some pearls they find at sea and if there are none, they beg.

First time to hold a pencil. The Badjao kids were excited to have pencils and papers of
their own.
Initially, we only thought of teaching the children but after conversing with the two adults
(Mahilan and Maligaya), who happened to be their mother and grandmother, respectively, we
decided to include them in our target since we discovered that they were also illiterates. The
children can speak Filipino (Tagalog) well. They could also count from one to ten, albeit in
Spanish like Dos, Tres...the language they use when begging. So we taught them how to
count from one to ten both in Filipino and English. We also learned that they dont know how
write their names. They dont know how to tell the time. So it was our plan to teach how to tell
do so after they had mastered the alphabet. The children knew who the eldest was and the
youngest among them but they dont have a concept of birthdays. They dont know when they
were born and so, they also dont know their age.
They could write some lines but do not know distinctly the letters of the alphabet. They
were really happy when we informed them that they could keep the pencils and the papers. We
told them that they would use it for the duration of the program and specifically instructed them
not to sell it for money because it is their ticket to a bright future. The children envision
themselves to work on a regular job; thats why we were so happy to teach them because they
already have a vision but they did not know how to make it happen. They thought its impossible
for Badjaos like them. Inay Mahilan and Maligaya told us that their children wanted to go to
school and they wanted them to go to school too but are hindered by financial problems and the
belief that they could be discriminated.

Having a hard time. Lola Mahilan had a difficult time holding the pencil but she did her
best to write lines.

Confused with the B. Juni Boy wanted to eliminate the Boy in his name because he
was having a hard time writing the letter B but soon after, he was able to master writing that
particular letter in the alphabet.
On our first day of classes, we met one guy named Bernard from University of Hawaii
who was doing a study about the Badjao dances. We reminded him on how to properly treat
and address the Badjaos.

At last. After much prodding and encouragement, they were able to write their names
finally.

Smart indeed. This was the work of Totoy Bibo. True to his name, he was the brightest
boy in class, although he became so engrossed in writing that he didnt want to participate in the
recitation anymore.

We then treat the Badjaos for lunch as our token of gratitude for doing their best during
the first day of classes wherein they learned how to write their names and count from one to ten.
Meanwhile, we had observed that most of the kids have runny nose and that they wipe their
noses with their clothes. It was then that we decided that we would not only teach them how to
read and write but also, how to practice proper hygiene.
On the second day, they learned the alphabet. Since the Day Care Center was closed
that time we moved to the Health Center. This time, our focus was learning Abakada
Change of plans from small to BIG
After the second meeting, the Badjaos informed us that they would not be around
because they will move from town to town for pamamasko. We respected their decision and
told them that we will wait for their return.
On the third day, we forgot that the Badjaos will not be around at the Day Care Center so
we decided to go visit their village.
The road leading to the village was rough. We also found out how far the Badjaos were
walking to reach the city. We noticed that this could be a real problem when emergency cases
arise and they need fast access to medicines.

Deep into the forest. To reach the Badjao village, you need to walk down a forest-like terrain.
Some tricycle drivers would agree to take you there while some would not.

Dirt road. The road leading to the Badjao village, a few kilometres away from Brgy. Malitam.
The Badjaos live by the sea.

Clean-up needed. At first, we thought that the Badjaos were the ones mindlessly doing the
literring. But according to the Badjaos and as attested to by Mrs. Coloma, the garbage in this

picture is awashed to the shore and piles up every day and in fact, it was the Badjaos who take
time to clean them up.
True to the words of some who have been there, you would smell stench emanating
from the houses. This could be attributed also to their lack of toilet facilities and the tangy smell
of the sea.
Once there, we were greeted by a throng of Badjao kids! There were so many of them.
The Badjao population in this part of the community is composed mainly of the young. Later, we
learned that it was because Badjao girls marry at the age of 15. It was like a tradition. One
woman has a minimum of six kids.

Kids loiter around. Only a few children are actually going to school (a makeshift learning
center at the heart of the village)

Typical Badjao house. Badjao houses are made of nipa huts and with the distance of one
house to another, there is hardly any privacy. The woman waves since after a few days of going
there, they are already familiar with the sight of us.

Playing with dirt. This girl was munching on a sinturis while playing with dirt! So we reminded
them that washing your hands before you eat is very important.
Then we discovered that in the heart of the village, there lies Sahaya Learning Center.
Sahaya Learning Center is a make-shift classroom, a nipa hut where Badjao kids who
like to study can do so from elementary to high school. However, this is not a regular school. It
was put up by missionaries. When we went there, we met two missionaries who were teaching
the Badjaos Sister Fe from Mindanao and Sister Wati from Indonesia. Sister Wati enrolled in

UP to study Filipino for the sole purpose of carrying out her mission to teach the Badjaos. We
were inspired by their stories and their noble mission.

Christmas at Sahaya. At the center is Teacher Wati. Teacher Fe is back in her hometown in
Mindanao for the holiday. The others are people who volunteered to help us hold a Christmas
party for the children in Sahaya.
We were able to have the pleasure of observing the two missionaries as they teach and
we decided that after teaching Mahilans family, we would also join them in teaching a larger
audience.
The missionaries told us that not all the children attend classes in Sahaya. It was very
difficult to persuade the parents to let their children study. The parents ratiocinated that the kids
would survive without education and for them, survival is all that matters. Also, one of the
difficulties encountered by them is the lack of consistency among the students. Sometimes, they
were very eager to learn, sometimes, they dont want to go to school.
Be that as it may, they follow instructions such that discipline among them is not hard to
instil if one just has the patience. The students also do Bible studying and fellowship every
Sunday. This is conducted by Sister Wati and Sister Fe with the help of a few volunteers, one of
which is Kuya Jao, a Tagalog who was named Jao after he married a Badjao woman who
came from Davao and was able to earn a degree. Jaos wife served as our inspiration that we,
too, could help the children aspire to earn a degree. We were informed by Sister Wati that once
the students are eligible to go to College, they would arrange for their transfer to a school in
Bulacan established specifically to cater to the educational needs of indigenous peoples.

Bible study. Sister Fe teaches the students (these are the oldest in the group) the value of
obeying their parents as she cites a Biblical verse.
We were very impressed at how the students behaved in class. They were even able to
enumerate the books composing the Old Testament! Because of this observation, we became
firmer in our belief that our program is feasible and will really work out.
Before we parted ways with the two missionaries, we asked them how else could be of
help to the learning center and we expressed our desire to join them in their mission. We were
told that they were out of school supplies. In that time, we brought with us 30 ABC books that
we bought for Mahilans family. Since they were nowhere to be found that day, we donated the
books to the learning center with a promise to go solicit for funding to get the necessary items.
The next few weekends, we visited there to assist the missionaries.
Christmas party with the Badjao children
True to our promise, we came back with the needed school supplies.
We were able to talk to a publisher about our advocacy and Vibal Publishing House (also
known as SD publications) decided to donate books. At first, we thought there would only be a
few to spare but we were surprised that Mr. Aubrey of Vibal sent to UB several boxes of old and
new books, with most of them, new, still wrapped in plastics and complete with teacher-student
modules and CDs. We were truly grateful.
Then our friends volunteered to help us arrange a Christmas party in the Sahaya
Learning Center. With the funds that we were able to raise among ourselves, we bought school
supplies for the Badjaos according to the list that Sister Fe sent through a text message. We

bought papers and pencils, Manila paper and those that they need for teaching. We also bought
hand soaps for the children so that they can practice proper hygiene by washing at the very
least. We then bought groceries for Sister Fe and Sister Wati as tokens of gratitude.
The children were really happy to play games with us and enjoyed receiving their
Christmas gifts in the form of books. The Tagalog volunteers also helped us unload our goodies.

Books for the Sahaya learners. The books were complete from those fit for Grade 1-6 and 1 st
year-4th year learners.

Immersing ourselves
In the days that followed, we visited the village to find out about their culture so we would
know their needs and how to go about our literacy program to help a great number of people.
After a few time of going back to the village, we learned that we must first befriend them and win

their hearts before they could trust us in educating them. We were also faced with the daunting
task of helping them realize the value of education.

We attended weddings and local celebrations.

Badjao Wedding ceremony. After being at the village for several times, we learned that when a
man is able to capture a woman with a blanket, that woman will belong to him and they will get
married...so girls have to be careful not to be caught by a man they dont want to be their
husbands.

When somebody weds, the whole village takes part and the young girls dance their traditional
dance called Igol.

Magsukol! Badjaos say magsukol to mean thank you.

Veggie types. Badjaos dont like eating meat. They go for fish and bread...and pancit to match
the bread.

Hurray to the newly weds! We chased a Badjao wedding cake made of balinghoy

Reunited. Finally, we saw Lola Mahilan after the Christmas holidays. She agreed to go back to
school in January.

Hand in hand. The other volunteers together with Lola Mahilan.

Til we meet again. The Badjao kids call us Ate Roma and Ate Bem.

Our Progress Since We Started

A family of 15 know now how to hold a pencil, how to spell and write their names and
how to count from 1-10 in English and Filipino.
They now know the alphabet, although there is as yet no mastery.
They have a concept of time now.
Children at Sahaya have complete school supplies now.
The number of volunteers has increased as our friends joined us in advocating for the
rights of the Badjao minority.
The number of children studying in Sahaya increased after we were able to persuade
the Badjaos that a brighter future lies ahead of them if they believe in the power of
education. The parents heard that we were distributing books and school materials and
this gave them an assurance that if their children do their best, they could land in
College through the help of the missionaries.
Children had started the practice of washing their hands with a soap.
From a family of 15, we are now able to teach in a community of people...in Sahaya
together with the missionaries. However, we shall still give special focus to the family of
Mahilan because they are unique among all the Badjao families. They are unique in the
sense that they wanted all their children and grand children to go to a regular school and
eventually land a good job so that they would no longer beg and go from town to town
when Christmas season comes, something that is not envisioned by the other Badjao
families.

Our further plan of action

Aside from teaching every weekend, we plan to raise awareness on proper waste
disposal to neighboring barangays so the garbage wont pile up at the sea where the
Badjao village is or in the alternative;
Propose to schools offering Citizenship Welfare Training Service (CWTS) to choose the
village as one of their assigned cleaning areas.

(LITERACY PROGRAM FOR THE SEA

GYPSIES
OF THE SOUTH)

By: Mary Rose Purino and Ma. Claribel Ochoa