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Belief and Practices among Badjau in Davao City
I.
Introduction
This study was done to gain understanding of the belief and practices among one of the tribe in Philippines, the Bajaus are the poorest among the poor. Widely known as “Sea Gypsies” or “Sea Nomads” refer to any of the several groups in Southeast Asia one them is in Philippines, an indigenous ethnic group who maintain sea-based culture. The name Badjau is a Malay-Bornean word which connotes “man of the seas”.
II.
Content
The name of these marginalized indigenous people is spelled in various ways: “Badjao,” “Badyaw,” or “Bajau.” Apparently, “Bajau” has the closest phonemic affinity to the language group in the area where this people belong (Malayo-Polynesian languages). They are also sometimes called by about a dozen other names like: “Sama Dilaut,” “Laut,” or “Orang Laut” (at the Malaysian side of the border). Originally, they were land-based tribe pushed into the seas by population pressures and by more dominant tribes. They held no land or other property ashore. Through years of oppression, they found solace in the seas. The Badjau people live in one the three types of dwelling: stilt houses on the coast, ordinary land houses clustered along protected shorelines, and houseboats. Most Badjau are fishermen, men fished and build boats, while women go out to gather clams and seaweeds by the coastal areas but mostly they go to the urban cities to beg money on the street and houses by way of ritual dancing “budots dance”. A sea ritual makes the Badjau childbirth practice somewhat unusual. The newly born infant is thrown into the sea and is dove after by a relative to rescue it. This ritual is simply an initiation into the reality of the Badjao’s life, which is based on kinship with the sea. The Badjao pregnant women have poor prenatal checkup and usually satisfied with traditional health practices in their society. Usually, they visit their local hilot (panday) for checkup which they locally call “magbuhat”. Basically, the Bajaus are spirit believers. They believe that the evil spirit, commonly known to them as “saitan”, is the one bringing them the misery that they experience. Likewise, they also believe in the village spirit mediums (omboh) that perform curative rite called as pag-omboh. These beliefs in supernatural beings and their ancestral spirits have contributed to their silent and peaceful society and to their good social behavior as claimed by some writers. Bajaus are not Muslims although they practice what anthropologists call “folk Islam” as they are influenced by their Muslim neighbours. The Bajaus are peace-loving people, oftentimes to a fault. They would endure all forms of hardship, inconvenience and lost opportunities if only to avoid getting into trouble, especially with people
2 not of their own tribe. Hence, they prefer to live in peace by themselves at the coastal fringes of population centers, mangrove areas, coves and islets. With the huge logs which they used to carve into houseboats having gone very scarce and expensive
III.
Conclusion
Wherever they live, they are considered citizens of the lowest class: ignorant, dirty, stenchsmelling and deprived. Many people have very low regard for them that practically anybody could pick on any Bajau and go unchallenged. Their situation is a picture of complete neglect that has driven whole families to flock to the big cities of Metro Manila, Cebu and Davao to beg in the streets. The Bajaus are at the receiving end of all the consequences of the on-going war and violence beyond reach of government services.
IV.
References
Book Sources Bottignolo, Bruno.1995. Clelebrations With the Sun: An Overview of Religious Phenomena among the Badjaos. Ateneo de Manila University Press. Electronic Sources Published with no Authors http://www.vatican.va/roman_curia/pontifical_councils/migrants/pom2007_103/rc_pc_migrants_pom103 _pastoral-tamayo.html#top PASTORAL CARE OF SAMAL BAJAUS AND NOMADS IN THE PHILIPPINES
