Malitam, Batangas
The displacement of the Badjaos has been etched in Philippine history for the last couple of generations. May they be the casualty of wars, victims of natural disasters, or pushed for the sake of urbanization, these Sea Gypsies have found themselves establishing lives on borrowed lands. No difference are the Badjaos of Malitam, a short 2-hour drive south of Manila, where over 200 families have adapted to the change in lifestyle, culture, language and even religion.
Settling in the mangroves off the banks of Calumpang River, we were linked with this community through our previous outreach in Libjo, Batangas. Residing inside brightly-painted wooden houses raised on stilts, these people know the danger of living so close to a body of water. The Badjao spirit is still strong with residents welcoming us with a smile. The mothers stay home to care for the family, while able men are in the city making a living.
As what we’ve been doing for years, our outreach was not meant to solve poverty. We visit towns to provide a day of relief. A different kind of day from the norm, a break from their daily worries. We visit with rice and groceries that can last them for days. We host games to give those kids something to talk about for weeks. And maybe turn that one winner into the town legend. Who knows, maybe inspire that kid to become that one Badjao descendant to eventually lift his people to a better life.
