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Badjao Street Drummers

Posted on 26. Nov, 2009 by dimaks in Life, News

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Have you tried plying Mindanao and North Avenue? Seen something new and different? I am referring to the Badjao drum boys boarding the jeepneys when at halt during traffic jam. They will put empty airmail envelopes on the passengers’ lap then they will start beating their home-made drums by the vehicle’s steps. After a few seconds, they will take back the envelopes and jump off.

The mere principle of asking for help is tolerable for me but with this form, I would really think twice in giving out a portion of my hard-earned money or anything due to attitudinal factors. One of my very surprising encounters was that, after the boy took all of the envelopes he gave to the passengers, seeing he got no loot for the time being, he angrily jumped off while saying “p%#$!$%& nyo!” after a few seconds of bewilderment, we were like asking in unison on what the boy has just done.

I can’t help but think if these kids loitering the streets still got parents and where are they during these times. Do they still got a place that they can call home? I can’t help too but take the incident as a reflection of what the government is doing to deal with the country’s deteriorating economy. As we can see, things are very much skewed to those with already-thriving social status. Moreover, obviously, the metropolis is incapable of absorbing these people from the neighboring provinces. It could have been promising, has the government made working solutions to the high rate of in-migration with the regions.

Yes, I am quite aware that the government has got housing programs but that’s all it. After putting the displaced families from the slums to their respective (supposedly) new homes, they all return back to their original abode for practical reason – to get back to their sources of living and income. After a year or so, things are back to where it was before because there is no doable comprehensive plan and proper monitoring system.

I bet, this is happening not only the Philippines but also in some US countries. Homeless families maybe found living an abandoned car or van, albeit no motorhome warranty. As what this article states:

IN THE FACE OF 1990s ECONOMIC PROSPERITY, homeless statistics show the number of homeless has remained stubbornly high. Between five and six hundred thousand people are considered “homeless” at any given time – without a “permanent, safe, decent, affordable place to live” (Granruth and Smith). Homelessness in America persists in part because many urban areas remain economically depressed, housing costs have risen rapidly in the past decade, and wages for lower skilled workers have remained stable (Burt, Aron, and Lee).

In any perspective, I would surmise that what we see in the streets today are but particles of bigger elements or shall I say, indicators of our struggling society towards poverty, education and good governance.

Photo: Joe Almerez – flickr.com/photos/joealmerez

Tags: badjao, badjao drummers, badjao kids, badjao street kids, featured