Far Eastern University - Diliman

Sampaguita Avenue, Mapayapa Village

Diliman, Quezon City, 1101 Metro Manila

A Study on Badjaos: The Cases of Badjaos Residing in Novaliches, Quezon City

An Ethnographic Research Paper

presented to

The Senior High School Department

In Partial Fulfillment of the Course

Understanding Culture, Society and Politics

Presented by:

Alde, Mikaela Rose

Cruz, Aric Dhale

Panlubasan, Donna Lynne

Trio, Gwyneth

Submitted to:

Mr. Neil John B. Callado

September 2019

Table of Contents

1. Introduction………………………………………………….………………………………….3

1.1 Thesis Statement………………………………………………...……………………..3

1.2 Short Overview of the Topic…………………………………………………………...4

1.3 Research Problem……………………………………………………………………...4

1.4 Importance of the topic………………………………………………………………...4

2. Review of Related Literature……………………………………………………………………6

3. Scope and Delimitation.………………………………….……………………………………10

4. Methodology…….………………………………….…………………………………………11

4.1 Research Design…….………………………………….…………………………….11

4.2 Participants…….………………………………….………………………………….11

4.3 Data Collection Method…………………….…………………………………...........12

4.4 Research Instruments…………………….…………………………………..............15

4.5 Procedure for Data Analysis…………………….…………………………………...15

5. Presentation and Analysis of Collected Data…………………….……………………………16

6. Documentation..…………………….…………………………………...…………………….27

7. Summary and Conclusion..…………………….…………………………………...…………36

8. References..…………………….…………………………………...…………………………38

Introduction

Badjao is a tribe generally known as the “sea gypsies” and are scattered along the coastal

areas of Mindanao specifically in Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Zamboanga. They are among the

110 indigenous groups in the Philippines. Majority of them are dwelling along the streets of Manila

and daily commuters are certainly familiar of them. These sea gypsies has an effect on how society

thinks towards them. Badjaos are primitive and friendly, they are the most peace-loving people in

the world and considered as non-aggressive tribal community. The sea moulded their attitude and

appearance, this rough environment and the way of living shaped their typical features that they

have bronze color hair and dark brown skin. This tribal group have sailed the seas for more than

a thousand years but because of overfishing with the others groups using high-tech fish materials

and even dynamite fishing, threatened by soaring costs for fuel and repairs, their life in the open

waters is drying up. Badjao never really had an easy live, when they were still living at sea, they

were at least free from the everyday rejection and hardship brought upon by other tribes that live

on land. At present times, Badjao are the most marginalized ethnic group and one of the most

poorest tribes in the Philippines. Their vibrant nomadic lifestyle, the way of life bequeathed to

them by their ancestors has vanished in most parts of Mindanao and moved to more urbanized

places in the Philippines. Thus, the Badjao community should not be feared and degraded because

the majority of them works hard in order to gain income for their families.

The researchers used their curiosity and decided to comprehend the lives of Badjaos living

in Quezon City. Therefore, the researchers will be conducting an Ethnographic research about the

Badjaos residing in Novaliches, Quezon City. This study will tackle the culture and the way of

living of Badjaos and find out how Badjaos survive the harsh environment here in Quezon City.

The researchers also want to know the views of the community towards the Badjaos. Lastly,

through the data gathered from the commuters, the researchers will conclude if the commuters in

Novaliches, Quezon City openly accepts Badjaos or not.

Given the gist of the study, the researchers would break down the problems then seek and

analyze the current state of Badjaos residing in Novaliches, Quezon City. This study aims to

answer the following questions:

1. What is their culture in their own provinces before residing in Manila?

2. How do they survive the harsh environment in Metro Manila?

3. What is the society’s perspective towards the Badjaos living in Manila before and after

knowing their situations in urban areas?

The purpose of the study is the current state and culture of Badjaos residing in Novaliches,

Quezon City. This study is significant for the researchers for it will benefit the following people:

Badjao Street Dwellers. This study will help the Badjao street dwellers by informing the

society about their current state. They could be assisted with programs and activities dedicated to

them and soon would help them have a better living.

Badjao Community. This study will help the Badjao community by letting society know

their stories and what kind of people they really are. This study could also help in avoiding cases

such as stereotyping and discrimination against their community.

The Community. The study will provide information with regards to the reasons that

affects the people about their perspective on Badjaos. The given result would help the community

be educated and raise awareness towards the issue.

The Local Government Unit. This study will try to identify the current state of Badjaos

living in Metro Manila and the result will enable the Local Government Unit to formulate solutions

on how they will help and support Badjaos in having them as part of the workforce or giving them

stable jobs in Manila.

The Future Researchers. This study will provide references and information to the future

researchers about the culture and current state of Badjaos in Metro Manila. The result will help the

researchers identify how the Badjaos would differ from other indigenous groups in the Philippines.

Review of Related Literature

History of Badjaos

Philippines is one of the few countries that have diverse cultures and tradition, and

Indigenous people are one of the few reasons for that because according to Dator, San Pedro and

Reyes (2018) “There are almost 110 ethnolinguistic coming from 14-17 million Indigenous People

in the Philippines and that is quite a large number for a traditional language.” One of the tribes that

belongs to the millions of Indigenous People that have a cultural legacy are Sama-Bajau or what

the common people call them as Badjao in the Philippines but they wanted to be called as Sama

Dilaut which translates to Sea Sama, “They are from Mindanao and in the past all of them

specifically male Badjaos were earning a living by diving for a pearl or just being a simple

fishermen while female Badjaos were selling the pearl that they did get or selling fruits also known

as (Ibid)” as stated by Dator et al. (2018).

Badjaos Way of Living

Many Badjaos that once live in waters of Mindanao did immigrate to Manila or some other

place in the Philippines to try to look for better opportunities for them to live better and leave the

danger of some rebel groups in Mindanao. Badjaos in urban areas tries to make a living by begging,

giving letter of solicitation in white envelopes in exchange for singing according to Dator et al.

(2018). Many of them are near the malls, transport terminal or sometimes ride a moving public

vehicles like bus or jeepney to make a living for there are many people are in that kind of places.

Unfortunately many kids are also part of this job as mentioned by Dator et al. (2018) in his study

that “Children ranging from 10-12 years old or grade 3 students at a young age are helping their

parents by doing jobs or raising their siblings.” which shows how desperate the Badjaos are looking

for a way to have money to survive the day. Government executive department like the Department

of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) tried to make the programs with housing and

development for 391 families of Badjaos though as shown by the research of Dator et al. (2018)

many still did not stop in going back to the streets to get some money for them to live thus putting

the lives of the children in danger.

Craftsmanships of a Badjao

Badjaos are Indigenous people that have a long history and cultural legacy for they are

known for their skills in traditional craftsmanship, knowledge and performing arts. In terms of the

knowledge of making use of simple things into an art Badjaos are not losing to any other

Indigenous tribes for according to Saddalani and Yahcob-Sadalani (2019) “One of Badjao's unique

and best products is made up of dried pandan leaves which are cut into tiny strips, dyed for an hour

then hand woven in mats that is also known as (Tepo).” According to Saddalani and Yahcob-

Sadalani (2019), this woven mat is a useful product that is often made by elder or women for their

own needs. For example are sleeping mats, prayer mats, decorations, souvenirs or sometimes used

in commerce. Since Badjaos are known to be “sea gypsies” one of their crafts are for the sake of

them travelling into the ocean and catching sea creatures known as Lepa Boats. This Lepa Boats

considering what Saddalani and Yahcob-Sadalani (2019) said that this is a houseboat that travels

from one place to another and used to catch fish, this boat is made up of ancient architectural

design using hardwood yakal tree with (okir) carvings and sails that was uniquely designed by

Badjaos themselves. Being an ancient seafarer, Badjaos were once called as the “Legendary

Guardians of the Sea” Badjaos knows traditional navigation techniques such as using sea current,

wind, or celestial bodies such as stars, sun, moons or sometimes meteors as stated by Saddalani

and Yahcob-Sadalani (2019). Performing arts is also a great legacy of Badjaos that was passed in

a long history from their ancestor and example of this is "Igal (dance) that was performed in Tawi-

Tawi or Nusantra region during festivals, weddings, or victory party celebration" as mentioned by

Saddalani and Yahcob-Sadalani (2019).

A Badjao’s Ability to Adapt

Badjaos that migrate from Mindanao to Luzon tried to integrate themselves in local

communities and as much as possible adapt to the place that they currently live in, a good example

of this is the study of Castillo, Torres and Jamias (2018) about “Badjaos that integrate themselves

in a community try their best to learn quickly as much as possible while maintaining their own

identity or interest.” Local communities and government in that studies also show their initiative

to accommodate their fellow Badjaos to their communities following efforts that were made by

assigning a leader for both sides for the Badjaos and the community themselves (Castillo et al.,

2018) thus shows that the two sides can induce good relationship and healthy environment for

everyone as long as there is a proper actions made that would not led both sides at the end of the

stick.

Education of Badjaos

The government did try to give a free education to the Badjao even though technically it is

already free but the “Badjao parents are still dealing with the problems such as allowance, school

materials, uniforms or photocopies with regards to the education offered by the government so as

solution to this problem the government offered PHP 3,000 to chosen students of first year High

School Freshmen” as emphasized by Castillo et al. (2018) which shows that the government and

the Badjaos are trying their best to accomplish a harmonious relationship to the Badjaos students

and the students of the said community. In the end building partnerships are the goal of the leader

of Badjaos or to “Tap the community partners engage in the development initiatives which was

already in transactions with the local government”Castillo et al. (2018).

Scope and Delimitation

The study will be focusing on the current state and cases of Badjaos residing in Novaliches,

Quezon City. Badjaos residing outside the stated field site and other ethnic groups will not be

included in this study.

The objective of this research includes knowing the culture of Badjaos in their own

provinces, their state after residing in Novaliches, Quezon City and how they survive from the

harsh environment in Novaliches, Quezon City and the society’s perspective towards Badjaos

before and after knowing their situations.

The respondents are limited to the Badjaos living or working in Novaliches, Quezon City.

There will be five (5) Badjao respondents and another five (5) respondents for random

interviewees. The researchers will be conducting an interview in the Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady

of Mercy, 1102 Quirino Highway, Novaliches, Quezon City. The researchers will be gathering the

data for four (4) hours yet ensuring that all the respondents will be getting an equal amount of time

to answer all the questions.

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Methodology

This chapter is sub-categorized into the research design, participants, methods of data

collection, instruments used, and the procedures used for data analysis. This chapter contains the

explanation of the details for the different processes of the study such as how the respondents were

chosen, what methods were used for data gathering and how the researchers analyzed the data.

Research Design

Ethnography served as the main research design for this study. Fetterman (1998) described

Ethnography as an art and science of describing a group or culture. This type of research design

ensures that the researchers are involved in the making of the study and are socializing within the

observed group. Ethnography is an appropriate research design for this study because the

researchers observed, examined and participated with a particular group, specifically the Badjaos

residing in Novaliches, Quezon City.

Participants

The participants of the study were Badjaos residing near the Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady

of Mercy. The participants were chosen from a group of Badjaos living in Novaliches, Quezon

City and random commuters from the same area. It consists of 5 Badjao respondents and another

5 from random people. The respondents gave their approval to participate in an interview and the

researchers stated clearly that their answers will only be used for research purposes.

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The sampling technique used was random and purposeful sampling. The participants,

specifically the Badjaos, were handpicked in accordance to the criteria set by the researchers. This

sampling assured that the participants knew what is needed in the research, entailed, and that they

were knowledgeable about the topic of the research. On the other hand, the researchers randomly

picked commuters to be interviewed but the researchers also assured that the respondents were

aware of what the topic is all about.

Data Collection Method

A timeline was prepared by the researchers to explain the contents of the research easier.

These procedures were used by the researchers to formulate, gather, and categorize the data.

Before. The researchers formulated questions that would easily be answered by the

respondents and made sure that it would benefit the research. The questions are as follows:

For the Badjao people

1. From what province are you from?

2. What is your reason for transferring in Manila?

3. How long have you been here in Manila?

4. How did you arrive here in Manila? What mode of transportation did you use to get to

Manila?

5. What is your main source of income here in Manila?

6. Did anyone forced you to work or ask money to someone?

7. How much is your daily income?

8. Is your daily income enough for you to eat?

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If yes, how enough it is for your everyday expenses, specifically in foods?

If not, what do you do in order to sustain food?

9. What do you usually eat?

10. Does living here in Manila more challenging than living in your own province? Why?

11. Would you prefer to live in Manila than your own province?

For the commuters

1) Are you afraid of Badjao people?

2) What are your insights about the Badjao people?

3) How often do you encounter Badjaos?

After asking the questions, the researchers will narrate all the experiences of the Badjao

people to the commuters. It will immediately be followed by the following questions:

1.) Is there any changes after you’ve heard all the experiences of the Badjao people?

2.) If yes, then why?

The researchers also thought of places where badjaos are easily found. Their first choice is

near the Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Mercy, then followed by the waiting shed near the school

Sacred Heart Academy of Novaliches, and lastly near the wet and dry market in Maligaya.

Moreover, the researchers decided to wait for each other in a convenience store named “7-Eleven”

beside the Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of Mercy. However, the first attempt to interview Badjao

respondents was postponed due to online classes and so the researchers rescheduled their interview

on weekend.

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During. At exactly 8:24 A.M., the researchers met at 7-Eleven beside the Diocesan Shrine

of Our Lady of Mercy in Novaliches, Quezon City. The researchers immediately searched for

Badjaos and the first respondent was found in a marketplace begging for money. They decided to

make her comfortable first before conducting an interview. After the interview of the first

respondent, the researchers gave a small amount of help just to thank the respondent. The second

respondent was a family of 4 and were found sleeping beside a bank named Chinabank. The

researchers asked the respondents if they are Badjaos and if they wanted to be interviewed.

Eventually, they agreed to be interviewed. The researchers wanted to give him a small amount of

money but he refused to have it. Due to their unfortunate situation, the researchers helped the

respondents by giving them medicines that they need and the researchers also gave some food and

water for their children. The third respondents were interviewed on a sidewalk near the pedestrian

lane and again we did asked for their approval and gave whatever we could give similar to the

previous respondents. After that, the researchers conducted an interview individually from the

commuters that has at-least a common knowledge about Badjaos. The interview for Badjaos

started from 8:30 A.M. until 12:00 P.M. and it lasted for almost four hours. The interview for the

commuters was conducted through different days due to conflict of schedules.

After. The researchers compared the acquired data and were studied by the researchers and

then settled and organized into subcategories to make it easier for the researchers to present the

gathered data/information to the audience. The researchers used the pictures of the Badjaos and

commuters in the documentation section with captions as an evidence that an interview was

conducted. The researchers also made sure that the answers of all the respondents would be used

only for educational purposes.

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Research Instruments

The researchers used interview questions as their main instrument for gathering data in this

study. The interview conducted is significant to the study because the collected data will help the

researchers validate their whole research.

Interview Questions. Similar questions were used in the interview. The researchers started with

warm up questions to make the respondents comfortable.

Construction. The researchers constructed ten interview questions. The questions were

based from the research objectives and research problems.

Administration. The interview was conducted near the Diocesan Shrine of Our Lady of

Mercy.

Observation. The researchers observed the Badjaos nature, personality, and environment.

Procedure for Data Analysis

The researchers used Narrative Analysis to analyze the response given by the participants.

According to Merriam and Grenier (2019), Narrative Analysis is the process of analyzing people’s

stories. The stories of the participants were used as data for the analysis of the given information.

The researchers collected the answers of the participants and tallied similar answers for the study.

The collected answers would be analyzed and organized to easily interpret and present the gathered

data.

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Presentation and Analysis of Collected Data

This chapter includes the presentation, analysis and interpretation of data collected from the

conducted interviews. The answers given by the respondents are presented through a Pie Chart to

display the proportional information and the percentage represented by each category that is given

by the corresponding pie slice.

Research Findings:

PIE CHART 1: PLACES WHERE THEY ORIGINALLY CAME FROM

The participants mentioned places where they originally came from. Some of them stated

“Nanggaling po ako sa Palawan”, “Sa Marisol po barrio ng Pandan sa Pampanga”, “Sa Zamboanga

pa ako”, “Galing sa Basilan.” It shows that most of the badjaos really came from Mindanao and

still they chose to reside here in Manila where they are scattered into different places.

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PIE CHART 2: REASONS FOR LEAVING THEIR HOMETOWNS

The respondents answered “Wala, gusto lang talaga pumuntang Maynila.” “ Niyaya lang

ng Uncle para mag puntang Maynila..”, “ Sinama ng asawa para pumunta sa Maynila”, “Mas

madali kasing makahanap ng pagkain dito kaysa sa Basilan at dahil na rin namatay ang tatay ko

kaya mahirap.” This shows that some of their answers and reasons were affected by personal

experiences which is why some of them are encouraged by their family members to move in

Manila because they thought that it is easier to find money and food in Manila.

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PIE CHART 3: IF ANYONE FORCES THEM TO WORK/ASK FOR MONEY

The researchers asked the participants if does anyone force them to work or ask money. All

of the respondents answered “wala” meaning they are working and asking for money for the sake

of their own family. Everyday they are toiled to find food, going from different places just to

survive living in the city.

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PIE CHART 4: THEIR DAILY INCOME

By working and asking people for money, Badjaos earn money to buy their necessities. In

this chart, we can see that most of the badjaos can earn more than P100 per day and some are

earning less than a P100. The researchers asked if their money is enough for their daily needs like

foods. Some of the respondents answered “yes” and some answered “no.”

The researchers also asked that in case their daily income is not enough, what do they do

in order get food? The participants responded “Kapag hindi kasya ang pera, nangangalakal o

nanghihingi ng pagkain ang ginagawa ko”, “Naghihingi kami sa palengke mga gulay o isda, yung

mga tira-tira nila hinihingi namin…” Despite having a hard time fulfilling their needs with a small

amount of money, they chose not to do illegal things to find ways to live.

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PIE CHART 5: IS IT MORE DIFFICULT IN THE PROVINCE OR IN MANILA?

Each respondents has different sides and opinions regarding the difficulties in Manila or in

their own province. The majority of their answer is “Mas mahirap sa Maynila.” The researchers

interviewed the Badjaos personally and the participants didn’t just answer the questions based on

the list of questionnaires but they also told stories about their current life situation in Manila. The

researchers found out that the Badjaos really has it hard socializing in Manila and they are having

a hard time finding a source of income since they do not have the skills to fit in any kind of work.

As a result, they ended up begging as a means of survival.

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PIE CHART 6: HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN MANILA?

From the information shown in the pie chart, the red part resembles Badjaos who lived in

Manila for more than 5 years, and the green part resembles those who started living in Manila for

just 3-5 days. The majority of the Badjaos who lived in Manila for more than 5 years lacks in

education and skills that are needed for jobs. It forced many Badjaos who moved in Manila to

become beggars. One of our respondents cannot work because of his injury. Therefore, he also

ended up being a beggar.

The researchers also asked how the Badjaos arrived in Manila and what mode of

transportation did they use. The participants responded “Dahil sa pag-angkas sa jeep napupunta

kami kung saan-saan”, “Sinama ako ng aking uncle at sumakay kami sa barko.”

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PIE CHART 7: MANILA OR PROVINCE?

The researchers asked the participants if they prefer living in Manila or in province. The

majority of the respondents chose life in the province. Since Badjaos already lived in Manila for

years they already experience difficulties in the city and since they do not have work they are

scattered in different places finding money. It is still difficult for them to socialize in Manila even

though they already lived in the city for years.

The researchers also asked the Badjaos of what they think towards the "Manileños”. One

Badjao answered that a lot of Manileños interviewed them but no one came back to help them.

However, the respondents do not have any anger towards those people but he emphasized that

those people who asked for an interview became arrogant and are just doing it for grades but one

stated that a police Manileño helped him and his wife in having foods and buying medicines.

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The researchers also conducted an interview with the commuters. Each respondents has

their own opinions and perspectives towards the Badjao people. In the first question is about the

numbers of Badjaos they have encountered in a year. 80% of the commuters have seen more than

three Badjaos and 20% has only encountered two Badjaos in a year. In the second question, 100%

of the interviewed commuters said that they are not afraid of the Badjao people. The third question

is all about insights of the commuters to the Badjao people. 70% of the commuters stated that

Badjaos should be a part of our community, 10% stated that they should not be part of our

community and 20% stated that he/she does not care about them.

After collecting the data, the researchers narrated the experiences of the Badjao people.

The researchers wanted to know if there will be changes in their answers. 70% of commuters stated

that there are no changes in what they think about the Badjaos. 30% of the commuters changed

how they think towards the Badjaos.

Interpretation of Data:

The pie charts presented were used to show the answers of the Badjao people.

Majority of the Badjaos came from Mindanao. Many of the Badjaos does not have a decent job

and they are living on the streets and asking money for them to live and eat. They are leaving their

ancestral lands because of poor life. Due to difficulties in their own provinces, many have resorted

that maybe they would have a better life in Manila. It shows that many people from the rural areas

still sees Manila as a gateway to success. People should also stop thinking that the Badjaos that

are commonly seen in the jeepneys are controlled by immoral people. Maybe some are really

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controlled by those people, but many Badjaos rely on asking people for money in order to buy

food. Being a Badjao is not easy. Just by looking at their daily income, people should know how

hard their life is. P100 is too little for a complete meal per day. Even though some respondents

answered that it is enough, their foods are not as tasty as they wanted it to be. By observing one

respondent on that day, the researchers saw that what they commonly eat is congee and leftover

foods from the market. The researchers has also seen that their environment is not healthy and

good enough for them as they live just beside the streets. The researchers interviewed a family and

they saw how awful their life is. The mother of their family is sick while the kids are too young

for the harsh and polluted environment they are living in. Living in Manila or in province is both

hard, but majority of the respondents stated that they just wanted to go back in their own provinces

but they couldn’t because each person costs between P3,000 to P5,000 and they do not have any

money to afford that.

The researchers has also observed that the Badjaos still has their culture which they still

use even while living here in Manila. An example would be their way of dressing and their way of

singing and dancing inside the public vehicles to solicit money. It shows that their culture still

thrive even with the huge impact of culture change in Manila. It is true that some did acculturated

their way of living here in Manila like how the Manileños speaks. It is good that the Badjaos are

living within the flow of the culture in Manila without forgetting their roots. Also, the Researchers

observed that the Badjaos always mention that even if they do not have enough money for them to

live, they would never resort to any kind of hideous acts that would lower their identity as a person

and as a Badjao. Although Badjaos are people with a long history in the Philippines and are known

to be nomads for the sake of living, they told the researchers that they would never regret being

born as a Badjao and they will try to live and enjoy all the culture that they will bring in Manila.

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Every year, commuters are certainly familiar of Badjaos. From the data gathered 80% of

the commuters have seen more than three Badjaos per year. It means that Badjaos are really

scattered in Manila and more are migrating thinking that they will have a better life. The

commuters does not see Badjaos as a threat and it's pleasing to know that. Some may look different

and speak different from us but they should not be feared because Badjaos are not bad people. The

researchers interviewed one Badjao and he rejected our money and stated “I trust that the Lord

will guide us. Money is not that important for us, food is much more important. If I could be an

instrument towards your success in your studies, then I will let you use me.” Majority of the

commuters wanted the Badjaos to be a part of our community. The data shown above interpret that

the commuters happily accept the Badjaos and their culture in Manila. One commuter told the

researcher that after he heard the experiences of the Badjao people in Manila he felt pity and sad

for them. For most people living in Metro Manila, the researchers concluded that the Badjaos are

not a nuisance of any sort. One commuter said that Badjao people should be a part of the

community because they are humans too. Based on the observations of the researchers, the

commuters insights of the Badjaos living in Metro Manila is already a norm and they should not

be treated indifferently because they are also humans and of course, they are Filipinos. Also, it

shows that Manileños are curious of the people that lives differently from them. The results show

that people living in Metro Manila embrace the culture that the Badjaos are showing.

The relationship of the Badjaos from the commuters is not as complicated as it would seem.

Many Badjaos are living in Manila and many Manileños did accept the culture and tradition that

the Badjaos has brought to urban areas. The researchers concluded that with the help of Social

Media, many of the people today are not prejudiced of what they see in the streets even if you are

a Badjao or not. Many are doing their best to build a great relationship between the urbanized

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people and the indigenous people since many Badjaos are trying to adapt to the changes the culture

in urban areas while the urbanized people are trying to help the Indigenous people by giving them

the alms that they can give.

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Documentation

a. Mika, one of the researchers, is conducting an interview to the first respondent.

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b. The researchers were listening to the stories of Manong Asby, the second respondent.

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c. The researchers were talking about how they will help Manong Asby.

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d. The researchers continued on interviewing Manong Asby.

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e. The researchers were interviewing the final respondents.

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f. The researchers were asking how they could help the final respondents.

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g. The researcher asking questions to the commuters.

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h. The researcher asking questions to the commuter.

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i. The researcher asking questions to the commuter.

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Summary and Conclusion

Badjaos are seen scattered in Manila in our present time. Before leaving for Manila, they

were once from the provinces of Mindanao and known to be "sea gypsies." Their culture is greatly

affected by the sea. They shared a certain belief that a newly born infant is thrown into the sea and

the members of the clan will dive to save the newborn. They also have certain traditions like

marriages are prearranged by the parents for their children and only the Badjao leader can

consecrate a marriage.

Badjaos who migrated in Manila thought that it would be the best choice to live in Manila

if they wanted a better life. But contrary to their belief, the life here in Manila is not as easy as

they think. In order to survive from the harsh environment here in Manila, they learned how to ask

people for money and they are using their culture like singing and dancing to gain money. They

would get food from their income and they would also ask for leftovers in the market.

The people of Manila are familiar of Badjaos because they commonly encounter them

while riding jeepneys. Before knowing the stories of Badjaos, the researchers knew that people are

not afraid of them. They just know them as people who climb on jeepneys everyday, soliciting for

money by singing and dancing. They do not know that their life is harder than they think. A huge

number of Badjaos are living in the streets, finding a way for them to survive in their everyday

life. After knowing the stories of the Badjaos, 70% of the commuters did not have any change of

perspective towards the Badjaos because according to them, they have a little knowledge of how

hard their life is and 70% of them wanted the Badjaos to be a part of the community. Although

there are still people who makes fun of them, many people nowadays are kind enough to accept

them. Social Media is a huge help for this. Many eyes were opened and more people knew their

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situations better. This research is intended to give way for the life of Badjaos to be known by more

people so that they could help them in making their lives more comfortable.

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References:

Peralta, J. T. (2002). Glimpses: Peoples of the Philippines. Retrieved from

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Dator, L. A., San Pedro, A. B., & Reyes, J. (2018). Live Experiences of Badjao Street

Children in Cabanatuan City, Philippines: A Phenome-nological Approach. Open Access Library

Journal, 5(01), 1. Retrieved from http://file.scirp.org/pdf/OALibJ_2018012415161303.pdf

Saddalani, S.Y., Saddalani, A.J. (2019). Cultural Study of Badjao Business Practice and

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