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Sea Gypsies of Mindanao

By “Awake!” correspondent in the Philippines

WHEN we hear of gypsies, the first to come to mind may be the wandering, dark-skinned, dark-eyed people of continental Europe with their exotic customs and colorful costumes. But have you ever heard of their marine counterparts, the sea gypsies of the Orient?

You can catch a glimpse of them here in the Philippines in beautiful Zamboanga, or deeper to the south among the sunlit islands of the Sulu Archipelago. Here they are, the Bajaus, one of the eighty-one or so ethnic groups in this country. They are romantically called sea gypsies because of their floating, nomadic way of life. For centuries their only dwellings have been houseboats and stilt-balanced homes along sandy beaches and coral reefs.

Sea gypsies are also found in Malaysia, Indonesia and Burma, and those here in the Philippines are also considered to be of Indo-Malay origin. Anthropologists believe that their ancestors migrated from the coastal plains of Borneo. A typical Bajau has a weathered look. Long and constant exposure to the sun has bleached his hair to an auburn. His face is thin, with high cheekbones and a high-bridged nose.

It is said that in 1521 Ferdinand Magellan, in search for new routes to the Far East, sighted floating villages between Borneo and our islands. But even before this time the Bajaus had been moving from anchorage to anchorage, rowing ashore only to sell or barter fish and pearls and to procure their simple needs: cassava, rice, sugarcane, coconut or some tropical fruit like durian, marang, rambutan and mangosteen. Some of them stay on dry ground for just a few hours; others, for weeks or months, in which cases a temporary community develops.

The Bajau Community

Built in shallow waters, their stork-legged shacks are connected to one another by frail, makeshift bridges, often made of a single plank or bamboo without railings. Stairs are uncommon​—a single log slanting toward the doorway from the communal bridge or up from the watery ground suffices. Around and under these shacks are canoes, known locally as lipalipa, as well as outriggers, dugouts and other boats that are houses in themselves. The Bajaus are a closely knit people. One shack or a single houseboat may hold an entire clan, including the parents, married children and grandchildren.

Children, often nude, swim and romp in the low tide. The women wash clothing and themselves, cook or while away time at doorways amid animated light talk. Others are caring for the children, mending the fishnets or weaving mats. Some are off hunting seashells, seaweed, sea urchins and other marine edibles. On the other hand, the men are busy building and repairing boats or readying their fishing gear. Work on a dugout may take three months to finish, and perhaps three years later it needs to be replaced. Their implements are rudimentary​—wood chisels, hatchetlike tools and others of primitive design. At times the men may go group fishing. Some ten boats will form a horizontal line and when a school of fish is sighted, sounds are made to drive them to a rocky reef or other convenient site for easy spearing. Their catch often includes shark, ray fish, octopus and tuna.

As for their temperament, the Bajaus are a peaceable people and would rather be left alone. At the first sign of any trouble or interference from land folk they simply put out to sea. To them the sea is a haven, a friend. When they leave, the whole community disappears.

Children of the Sea

Most of the Bajaus are born at home. “Home” is a boat, perhaps one made from one big log procured from Borneo or snagged from the sea, and patiently hand-carved, chiseled and then roofed with palm fronds. Pontoons of bamboo, like runners on a sled, are arched from the sides to reduce the possibility of capsizing.

Stories tell how Bajau children, at a very tender age, are tossed into the water. If they float, they are considered true children of the sea. Their swimming ability makes them the best pearl divers in the area. They can outdive other natives, and can stay underwater for minutes without the aid of diving equipment.

Expert Navigators

To the Bajaus the watery lanes of the Sulu Archipelago are as familiar as the lines in the palm of their hands. Distance and darkness are no barriers to these navigators. Position can be gauged at any time. No compass or similar navigational instruments are used. They simply follow the stars, dip their hand in the sea and taste its water. How does this help? Well, it is explained that the salt content of the water varies from place to place and by knowing its tang their location can be determined. Then, by calculating the speed of the current in the channel, they can figure out the distance from land and can estimate arrival time.

Their remarkable knowledge of the sea is based on accumulated facts, on familiarity with the waves, winds and swells, which are transmitted from one generation to another. With this knowledge they are said to know of brewing storms days in advance. So even when the sky is fair, the wind calm, and the water smooth, their streaming into harbor for shelter is taken by the land dwellers as a storm signal.

Religious Beliefs

The Bajaus are neither “Christian” nor Moslem and do not subscribe to any particular belief or traditional way of worship. Some elderly ones profess some knowledge of the Bible and a little of the Koran and are of the consensus that both are fine. Varied are their answers to questions concerning God, his purposes and the like. Some local islanders believe that the Bajaus unqualifiedly reverence the sea, and, hence, are irresistibly attracted to it.

Jehovah’s witnesses in Mindanao and Sulu are glad to share with the Bajaus “this good news of the kingdom.” (Matt. 24:14) At times, when they drop anchor in Jolo or at the port of Zamboanga, young Witnesses take this rare opportunity to talk to them. They leap from one houseboat to another, speaking in halting Tausog and offering literature in Arabic. Often the language barrier is bridged by signs and smiles, and literature is accepted.

Marriage Customs

Sponsored by the University of the East Research Center for Sciences, Humanities and Culture, Abdul Mari Imao made a study of this minority tribe. His report, as published in the Chronicle Magazine, September 28, 1968, is a graphic account on marriage and other rituals. He tells that marriage is an early affair among the Bajaus, as early as thirteen or fourteen years of age. Or a girl may marry earlier, but sex is not permitted by the family until the age of puberty. A marriage partner is prearranged and of parental choice.

Marriages are always held at the headman’s residence, occurring heavily during the “altar months” of October and November and especially on full moons. Pre-wedding activities include the traditional marriage bath or “bridal shower.” The imam, or native priest, performs the bridal shower rites assisted by a girl who carries a tasseled umbrella over the bride’s head. Prayers are recited, water is poured and ritual dancers perform.

As the groom approaches the entryway of the bride’s house on the wedding day, firecrackers are lit to salute the pair. Amid burning incense, the initial rites take place. Then the imam blesses the groom and asks for the ring. A go-between then rushes to the bride and asks her if she accepts the man as her lawful wedded husband. If the answer is Yes, the groom’s ring is placed on her finger. The information is then relayed to the groom, who, in turn, is asked if he accepts the full responsibilities of a husband. If he does, the imam leads the groom and guides his hand to the forehead of the bride. This pronounces them man and wife.

Weddings are inexpensive. Thriftiness, not lavishness, makes them unusual. No panulong, or gift money, is given to the bride. There is no food served and invitations are sent out, not for a reception, but for participation in a fluvial parade. This parade takes place before the wedding ceremony. Around the village goes the boat amid the sounds of a kulintanga to herald the affair. Guests are picked up along the way. Its success is measured in terms of attendance of people ranking high in the village’s social strata, as well as from neighboring and far-off villages.

Divorce is common. Some girls, only sixteen or seventeen years old, may have married thirteen times. Marriages sometimes hit the rocks in as little as two weeks; others last a month or two. The causes of the breakup are varied: laziness and inability of the husband to provide for his wife, taking advantage of the wife’s wealth, mental and physical cruelty and others.

Uncertain Future

Despite twentieth-century progress and more attention from the government, the Bajaus are a vanishing breed. The harsh realities of ignorance, disease and malnutrition continue to plague these people, exacting heavy tolls. Even in Tawitawi and Si Tangkay, the last bastions of this unique, floating way of life, this elusive ethnic culture is slowly breaking down and the ramparts of resistance to the outside world, which have preserved their customs and traditions for centuries, are crumbling. The younger generation of Bajaus are getting civilized. Their world of the sea, gorgeous sunsets, flying seabirds and the seemingly endless blue of the horizon may still stay, but the beauty of their simple, unhurried and unassuming way of life at sea may soon disappear forever.

[Footnotes]