Badjao houses on stilts Tawi Tawi, Philippines © Jojie Alcantara, 2012
An island province in the southwestern tip of the Philippines, Tawi-Tawi is home to the Badjaos, indigenous ethnic groups referred to as “sea gypsies” who inhabit the shores and waters of the Sulu archipelago. Similar to the Samas and Tausugs in building coastal dwellings, the Badjao stilt house stands alone on an expanse of water without bridges to other houses or catwalks to the shore, and is reached only by boat. These houses are constructed from biodegradable materials such as lumber, bamboo and sawali (bamboo matting).
Showing kinship to the sea, they live close to the waters because of their source of livelihood (fishing and barter of sea products), sanitation, ancestral beliefs, and easy escape from enemies (they are non-aggressive people and prefer to flee than fight). Their boats are tied nearby as means of navigation and travel. Though a majority have now become semi-nomadic and stay in coastal settlement clusters, some Badjaos still live in houseboats called lepa. Under constant exposure to the sea and sun, they are mostly dark skinned with blonde hair.
Badjao house on stilts © Jojie Alcantara (taken from an N8 cellphone this time)
The Scene Stealer 
gorgeous! the place and your photos!
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thank you! do i deserve a delicious dish for that? 🙂
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definitely. you deserve a beautifully designed recipe just like your photos. 🙂
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Aw, how sweet. Tag me on your next dish preparation, then.
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Thank you for sharing these beautiful images along with your description of the people. It clearly shows that living in harmony with our planet is not only possible, but also a pleasure to behold.
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Thank you, so nice to hear from you again. 🙂
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