Badjao kids and teenagers on jeeps and buses... what's your take on them?

i mean i know most of the badjaos were displaced because of the war in mindanao but some were forced to leave because of the lack of jobs. really surprised that they are also in cebu but come to think of it, cebu is nearing to mindanao than manila so there is a greater probability that they would end up in nearby provinces and not just here in manila.

appreciate your thoughts gaiza.

cheers!!!

I think that most of these Badjaos will be in the most of the cities especially now that people will be so giving since Christmas is coming. I strongly feel that someone should talk to the leader of these Badjao so that they will not live in the streets anymore, especially here in Cebu. I think that is also the reason why some of the orphaned/abandoned children are also asking alms in the streets. They have their "mentors"...

agree with you there lody.

christmas is a time for giving but hopefully people, not just badjaos mind you, won't abuse this time of month. surprised that there are many badjaos in cebu as well but now that i think more about it, cebu is nearer to mindanao than manila so the transport fare is cheaper. the people behind these badjaos might be earning more with the lower transportation fare.

thanks for joining the discussion and welcome to mylot.

This post contains content of a mature nature. You must be Signed in or Registered to have the option to view this content.

Yeah I guess government should take into this problem because they do not deserve to be on the streets to beg. They belong to the minority groups but they should not go like that and instead the government should help them preserve their way of life because they are fast losing their identity by doing this.

agree that our government must find a way to help not just the badjaos but all those who have to beg to eat. poverty has struck its ugly head one too many times in our everyday lives.

hi tere! hope you don't mind calling you that name. seems appropriate though. lol!!!

yeha, if you are from angeles city, you have your fair share of seeing aetas begging in the streets. i think they started begging after the pinatubo explosion. i remember i joined a relief operation and during the trip to pampanga, there were a lot of aetas in streets literally stopping our convoy to beg. we had no recourse but to actually stop and start giving away the relief bags that we have. it was such an eye-opening experience. we made multiple trips that whole month.

about the badjaos, i just think that the face the same problems that the aetas face. they are taken advantage of and driven to beg to earn a living and be able to fend for themselves.

thanks for joining.

cheers!!!

Some aetas now sell crops like sweet potato, cassava, and other vegetables to earn money... they have a specific area... i think that is a lot better than begging... but some still resort to that...

that's good to hear. at least they are working to earn money and not just simply begging. can't balme some of them who still choose to beg. some are so desperate that it seems that is the only way for them to get out of poverty.

Thats cool! Maybe he is a fortune 500 company owner who just want to experience how to be a poor! Sounds like Hollywood.

No he is a con artist, he is no owner because he did this like 6-8 hours a day, mon-fri, I heard he finally got arrested, but I don't know for sure, and no it's in Georgia the Atlanta metro area is not like Hollywood.

hi solared.

yeah, read something similar. an american actually passes himself as a blind vietnam veteran and asked for donations from passers-by. not so sure when or where this exactly happened in the states but it was a big news in the net at the time it came out.

the guy that you mentioned is a con artist. pure and simple. we have similar cases here in manila as well. just last night while i was aboard a bus on my way home, a guys rides it and goes upfront and tells that he is from one of the southern provinces here in our country and is collecting alms to buy ferry tickets to get home to his wife and kids. the guy said he has travelled to manila to apply for work but was given the run around by his employers and ended up not having work at all and living in the streets. the guy further said that he already approached a number of government and local agencies and was constantly turned down with his request for financial assistance. funny thing is what gave the guy away that he was a con artist and he was giving us nothing but lies was that one of the passengers recognized him and it seems that he gave a different account of his misfortune. the passenger called out the con artist and the con artist just brushed him off and went down the next bus stop as if nothing happened.

talk about trying to put one over everyone else. the nerve of the con artist!!!

lol Maybe he's an undercover FBI agent. You should have reported him, though.

for habagamihan, you totally missed the point on this one man. no worries though. its all good.

for borg queen, i'm assuming that you're referring to solared's post but i think fbi agent's have better things to do than pretend that they are beggars. lol!!!

thanks for chiming in.

cheers!!!

hi izathewzia!!!

yes, i pity these people as well but aside from pity, i do feel a certain responsibility to them to try and help them out even in my own little way. certainly we can't help them all, that would be great but impossible with the meager resources that we have but simply helping out a family of badjaos will do. it is a good start in my opinion.

agree with you that having a good education is a start to ease out of poverty but i think the opportunity to study is not available to these people and hopefully the government can do something about this. the government must also consider that what they teach our badjao brothers and sisters is something that they can use in their everyday lives. something practical and something that they can use in their lives.

thanks for joining.

cheers!!!

hi drewojeda.

gettign pissed is but normal, maybe they caught you in a bad day. feeling pissed off and pity for these badjao kids at different times is alright. agree with you that it is better to give them food instead of money. i think that is a better alternative. also agree with you that the government should look for ways to help them out. providign a permanent resettlemetn area for them and giving them livelihood is a good start.

thanks for participating.

cheers!!!

No problem buddy, it's so nice that we are somehow able to discuss such topics concerning our fellow citizens.

agree with you there drewojeda.

discussing about such topics is only one step. hopefully, we can follow it up by actually doing something concrete to help them out. same thing for other similar problems that we have here in the country.

cheers!!!

hi letranknight.

yes, it is indeed sad and i do feel the same toward them. being part of a proud tribe, badjaos do deserve to be treated better than this. hopefully, the government and us, private citizens, can do something to help out our badjao brothers and sister. i just feel that giving alms only worsens the situation and does not help them in the lon grun.

just my opinion but i do thank you for joining the discussion.

cheers!!!

Even here in Cavite Badjaos also been here asking for alms and you can see them living in the streets. I feel pity to the children that brought by their parents asking for alms. I don't know why they want to stay here even if there situation here is worst unlike if they go back to their provinces they can survive there even if they don't have money.

I've heard the Aetas are doing the same. Instead of growing their own natural foods they'd rather go the easy way (if it's easy at all.)

This does not differ from Pinoys who'd rather be maids and waiters abroad instead of trying to finish school first.

hi borg_queen.

agree with you that it is better to donate to charities thatn to give alms to beggars. at least, with charities, we are sure that the money or things that we are donating are put into good use.

lol at your comment about their hair color!!! always thought that the color is due to them being exposed to the sun for long stretches of time. can't be sure though.

thanks for joining. cheers!!!

hi agv.

agree with you there. sometimes i think badjaos are pulling all stops to work out the pity angle with us by bringing their children while they ask for alms. personally, it doesn't work for me as i'm more inclined not to give alms to these people.

anyay, appreciate you chiming in.

cheers!!!

In any case it's better that they are there in Luzon than here in Mindanao. They're your problem now.

hahaha!!!

where in mindanao are you exactly based borg_queen?

hi calai618!!!

you hit the nail on the head with your comment. that's what's actually stopping me from helping these badjaos out is the thought that a crime syndicate is behind them. the idea is sickening but very possible with what we have been hearing and reading in the news nowadays.

thanks for chiming in.

cheers!!!

great comments here anne.

come to think of it, if there was a syndicate behind these people, the syndicate wouldn't bother 'financing' these scheme if it wasn't profitable. simple math will tell us that these syndicates make big money off these hapless souls. agree with you as well that providing education to these kids is a good way to eradicate this problem. another way is to go after the syndicates who are behind these dastardly acts.

interesting story about the boy who stands at the drive-thru. i would think that someone from the restaurant, perhaps the security officer, would shoo the teenager away. regardless if the teenager is with an adult or not. anyway, if that boy was standing and doing that to customers in my restaurant, i'll definitely call the authorities and have the teenager arrested. i have to do something to protect not just my business but my customers as well.

just my thoughts.

cheers!!!

The security guard stands in front of the restaurant and the other guard is at the basement parking. If you are in Manila, I can pm you the exact location and you can observe the boy from the restaurant opposite the drive through.

hi anne.

got your message. i don't frequent that place often and i certainly won't go out of my way to observe the boy. lol! seriously, i think the establishment should do something about this. it's up to them if they let the boy stay there. they certainly can't tell their customers what to do but just saying, they have to look after the image that they portray if they let vagrants loiter in their establishment like that. just my thoughts.

cheers!