ILOILO City – How do you solve a problem like the Badjaos?
“Considering their nature as nomads, we want to have a holistic approach to rescuing and responding to them,” said Director Carmelo N. Nochete of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Region 6.
DSWD-6 is reconvening Task Force Reach Out, an inter-agency body created purposely to respond to the needs of the Badjaos periodically coming to the region.
The agency recently provided cash assistance to the Badjaos from Bacolod City who were rescued in Iloilo. There were 24 families, composed of 72 individuals. They were shipped back to Zamboanga.
DSWD-6 released a total of P240,000 transportation assistance at P10,000 each per family.
The DSWD-Protective Services Division will facilitate the reconvening of the taskforce next week, said Nochete.
First created in 2017, the taskforce is composed of DSWD, Commission on Human Rights, National Commission for Indigenous People, Philippine National Police, Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, City Social Welfare and Development Office, Philippine Coast Guard, Department of Health, and Department of Labor and Employment.
“It has to involve various agencies kay gina-consider man naton ang way of life and culture sang mga Badjaos,” said DSWD-6 information officer Atty. May Castillo explained.
As confirmed by DSWD Region 9, the rescued Badjaos arrived in Zamboanga in the morning of June 27 and stayed at the DSWD Processing Center for Displaced Individuals.
The Badjaos, widely known as “sea gypsies”, are an ethnic group scattered along the coastal areas of Tawi-Tawi, Sulu, Basilan, and some coastal municipalities of Zamboanga del Sur in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Because of the conflict between Muslim separatists and government troops and the lack of livelihood opportunities, many Badjaos left Mindanao.
Mendicant Badjaos have been frequenting Western Visayas, particularly the cities of Bacolod and Iloilo, for years and they have been routinely rounded up and sent back to their home provinces.
Iloilo City’s Mayor Jerry Treñas got mad after having been informed that the city government of Bacolod supposedly shipped to Iloilo early morning on Friday, June 23, via a roll-on roll-off vessel some 80 mendicant Badjaos.
“We will not allow Iloilo City to be the dumping ground of Badjao families from Bacolod. Proper coordination is needed between local government units (LGUs),” stressed Treñas.
He specifically called out Bacolod City’s Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran who was the acting mayor that time.
The Iloilo City Government rounded up the Badjaos and assisted them to return to Zamboanga in coordination with DSWD-6.
Giving and begging alms are punishable under City Regulation Ordinance 2002-400.
The ordinance provides that mendicants “caught begging are liable to fines of P500, imprisonment of not more than a year or both fine and imprisonment.”
Meanwhile, giving alms to beggars is punishable by a fine of P500 or community service.
Any person, syndicate, or group who uses and exploits minors, disabled and infirm people in the mendicancy trade faces a P2,000 fine and up to two months in prison./PN
