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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 Badjaos 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

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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