They are considered illiterate and inferior in the society, this time, not anymore. Roben Abdella, 22, has strived against discrimination, he graduated with honor at Mindanao State Unversity, the first Badjao who graduated magna cum laude. He graduated in college with often skipped meals so he could pay his debts or buy his school requirements.
As an academic scholar of the Mindanao State University(MSU) Tawi-Tawi, he had to make the most of his small allowance. He rarely went home ti his family in Sitangkai, a municipality in Tawi-Tawi at least 4 hours away from his school.
Going to school with his starving stomach never stop him from pursuing his goal. After all, his family often ate just once a day, while he still had the luxury of eating out once in a while with his schoolmates.
But what was most challenging to him in college was when people in MSU looked down on him because he is a Badjao.Mindanao State University(MSU) said many people perceive Badjao as "illiterate" and "inferior" because some parents prefer sending their children out to fish than to school.
As an academic scholar of the Mindanao State University(MSU) Tawi-Tawi, he had to make the most of his small allowance. He rarely went home ti his family in Sitangkai, a municipality in Tawi-Tawi at least 4 hours away from his school.
Going to school with his starving stomach never stop him from pursuing his goal. After all, his family often ate just once a day, while he still had the luxury of eating out once in a while with his schoolmates.
But what was most challenging to him in college was when people in MSU looked down on him because he is a Badjao.Mindanao State University(MSU) said many people perceive Badjao as "illiterate" and "inferior" because some parents prefer sending their children out to fish than to school.
Roben is now a hero in the community of Badjao through him the Department of Agriculture Secretary Manny Pinol said in his Facebook page dubbed as "Finding Roben," he offered a job to a Badjao kid who graduated magna cum laude from a Sate University in Tawi-tawi Province.
I would like to draft the seafaring Badjaos to become keepers of the waters and seas and they could be called "Bantay Laut" or "Bantay Dagat" operating under the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic resources (BFAR), said Manny Pinol.
They will be issued with radio communications equipment and linked up with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to report violations of maritime and fishing laws, he added.
Badjao women could be drafted as members of the "Bantay Laut" auxiliary group to clean the seas of garbage, plastic bottles and bags which could be detrimental to marine life.
As a condition to their employment in this special program, they would be required to send their children to school and go to college to study fisheries.
All that I need is somebody like Roben to lead them and make them understand the important role that they will play in protecting the sea which is their home, said Pinol.
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