FROM THE SEAS TO THE STREETS: THE BAJAU 1 IN DIASPORA IN THE PHILIPPINES Nimfa L. Bracamonte 1 , Astrid S. Boza 2 and Teresita O. Poblete 3 1 Sociology Department, MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology, Iligan City, Philippines 2 Friends of Bajau, Iligan City, Philippines 3 Community Development Department, Mindanao State University, Marawi City, Philippines Abstract. Focused on the Bajau in Purok 4, Tambacan, Iligan City, Philippines, this paper employs participant observation, key informant interviews, and secondary data as its research tools. Findings of the study reveal that uprooted from their home base, the sea-dwelling Bajau continue to become wanderers in urban centers mainly subsisting on begging (ag-pangamuh) and exposing the women and children to street and health hazards. The major concerns affecting them include their day-to-day food needs, lack of livelihood, no regular income from street begging, and poor health and sanitation. Current initiatives of concerned individuals include alternative learning system in situ, educational support to the schooling pupils, feeding during weekends, and initial health/sanitation and alternative livelihood activities. Keywords: begging and urban survival 1. Brief Situationer The Bajau are the most sea-oriented people of the Sama-speaking peoples found chiefly in a maritime region stretching from the coastal areas of Zamboanga Bay to the Sulu Archipelago in the Philippines. Panaguiton (2010:3) citing several sources contend that they are known to be navigators, sailors, fishermen, pearl divers, boat builders and mat weavers. They are generally deemed respectful, joyful, simple, humble, hospitable, easily pleased, and go along with others with a high sense of gratitude. In addition, they are described to be hardworking/thrifty, nonviolent/peaceful, and contented/happy people (Teo 2001:5). While there may be variations, Roxas-Lim (2001) describes the Bajau as follows: Bajau tend to be identified as “nomadic,” subsistence fishing, foraging groups, living in relatively small, isolated enclaves, in areas remote from centers of commerce, industry, and central authority. Their social organization is based on the nuclear family and close blood and affinal kinsmen, and loosely organized communities focused on fishing activities and common mooring places. … Mainly uneducated, poor, and helpless (until the 1960s), they are prey to all sorts of depredations by more powerful groups (Roxas-Lim 2001: 16). Related literatures show the Bajau are basically nomadic and highly mobile. With the problems of access to sea resources, they have to go where the resources are. Thus, the movement to the urban centers. The massive influx of the Bajau 2 to the cities indicates there is something happening in their places of origin. 1 “Some writers think that Bajau is actually a corruption of the Malay word berjauh, which means ‘getting far apart’ from ‘Johor’, a place believed to be their ‘homeland’ (Bin Hinayat (2002:1citing Yap Beng Liang, 1977)… The word ‘Bajaul’ in Brunei-Malay, which sounds like the term Bajau, literally means ‘to fish ”(Bin Hinayat 2002:1). The traditional socioeconomic activities thereby depict the fishing community in the region. 2 It is important to note that determining the total number of population of the Bajau in the country is difficult. “Nobody actually knows the exact number” (Vicente, 2001:4), although in the Philippines, according to government figures in 1986, the Bajau population was around 25,000-30,000. The World Evangelization Research Center estimates them to be around 52,200 as of 2000 (http://kcm.co.kr/bethany_eng/p_code4/1104/html). In actual census, the Bajau might have identified themselves as “Sama” and counted as Samal. Intermarriages and movement to other places like Semporna also matter. 287 2011 International Conference on Humanities, Society and Culture IPEDR Vol.20 (2011) © (2011) IACSIT Press, Singapore