Education transforms lives of Badjao tribe members in Bato, Leyte

BATO, Leyte, Feb. 22 (PNA) -– Members of Badjao tribe dwelling in this coastal town are now reaping the benefits of the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Alternative Learning System (ALS).

The 676 Badjaos living in 105 houses have been settling in a coastal community here for several for about five decades. They relocated to Leyte from Sulu to stay away from troubles hounding the south.

 

Tribe member Masijah Bansale, 45, one of the ALS program beneficiaries in Dolho village, shared how ALS program empowered her.

“I now know how to read and write. I won’t get lost now because I already know how to read directions,” she said.

Bansale shared that she was not able to complete elementary education because her family had no permanent dwelling place.

“I wanted to study nursing, but because of poverty was not able to pursue that dream,” she recalled.

Her relatives, Jesus Menjani Esmani and Salvador Lampingin were the first two tribe members based in this town who managed to earn a college degree.

Both of her relatives completed teacher’s education course, but only Esmani works as secondary school teacher at the Bato National High School. Lampingin has yet to take a licensure examination.

“College days were difficult for me especially during examination days, being a child of a poor fisherman,” Esmani recalled. “During examinations, I used promissory notes so that my instructor would allow me to take the exam.”

Esmani also endured racial discrimination at the campus as tribe member, but after landing a teaching job, he’s been respected by people.

“Badjao tribe has this strong family ties. We don’t want to be separate from each other. That is why my parents forced me to take education course instead of accountancy,” Esmani shared.

The decision of his family has proved them right since it did not only open the mind of people, but he also became an inspiration to the younger tribe members to seek formal education.

“Education is really important, like for us who belongs to minority tribe, people look down on us. But if they learn that you are a professional, they look up unto you and feel inspired of what you have achieved,” said Esmani, who used to be a volunteer ALS program worker.

The ALS program for Badjaos does not only aim to educate them, but also seeks to lessen the number of tribe members begging for food and cash, said ALS program coordinator for DepEd Leyte division Roberto Mangalinan.

“This is a good program to encourage them to study. This does not only cater to tribe members, but also to out-of-school youth and others who are willing to attain education,” Mangalinan said.

With the success of the program, the DepEd is hiring more volunteers for ALS as teachers.

“The ALS program does not only help teach Badjao to read and write, but this also raises their awareness of what’s happening in the society, said Camila Albani, a Badjao member and a village health worker.

The program teaches her fellow Badjao that mendicancy is unlawful and risky.

Albani noted that many Badjao parents send their children to school because of the government’s Conditional Cash Transfer Program. This helps them connect to the mainstream society, which they were not able to experience in Mindanao.

Before education was introduced to the tribe, proper sanitation was a major problem, recalled Llarita Salilit, Badjao ALS education coordinator.

But the local government unit of Bato was persistent on helping them. After building a common toilet for the Badjao community, they were also allowed to build their own houses and be registered voters of the town.

“They know now why it is important to use toilet and maintain personal hygiene,” Salilit said.

She added that if a Badjao family decides to stay in the community, they are asked not to indulge in begging. If one is found out that they are begging on the streets, they are asked to leave the community, according to Salilit.

“Before, people are either scared or ridiculed of Badjaos, but now that they are educated, people in the mainstream society have started accepting them,” she added. (PNA)
LAP/SQM/ROEL T. AMAZONA/EGR