By Anna Valmero
INQUIRER.net
IN one of my trips to Anilao in Mabini, Batangas, I met a pearl diver whom I think outshines the luster of any pearl I’ve seen.
Tande Solare or “Mang Tande” as he was called by the locals is one of the first Badjaos who traveled to Batangas from Zamboanga. In 1972, he sailed the Sulu Sea and South China Sea until he reached the coast of Batangas, where his family now lives.
“Umalis ako noon sa Mindanao, kasi [ma]gulo doon noong nag-Martial Law; maraming naghoholdap [I left Mindanao due to the peace conflicts in the area when Martial Law was declared; there were also lot of hold-up incidents],” Mang Tande says.
According to local Batangueños at Anilao, he is the first Badjao pearl diver who arrived in the area and has been a regular visitor to the Anilao beaches over the years. Some resort owners even await the arrival of Mang Tande to buy pearls.
As member of an indigenous tribe known to live on the water, Mang Tande says he has lived all his life relying on the water to survive and brings meals to his family.
“Naninisid ako ng perlas, sapul maliit pa ako. Ito ang hanapbuhay ng magulang ko rin [I have been a pearl diver since I was young. This has also been the way my parents earned their living],” says Mang Tande.
While I was talking to him, his youngest son, a 5-year-old boy, inspects some shells nearby along with his older cousin. At a tender age, he ventures into the sea with his father.
Mang Tande dives underwater without breathing equipment. Only a rope tied around his waist serves as his lifeline to get back to the banca or small boat. It takes about a week or two before Mang Tande can go back to his family. He catches fish or buys sweet crop (kamoteng kahoy) to feed himself and his companions throughout that two weeks, while sleeping on the sandy shore. When it rains, a tree canopy serves as their shelter.
He says he braves living on the shores without roof above his head all for his family. He dreams of giving his four children the gift of education, which he was unable to have.
Watch my video report of Mang Tande:
A day in the life of a Badjao pearl diver
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About this Entry
This page contains a single entry by published on January 17, 2009 9:09 AM.
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sa dagat lang talaga hanap buhay ng mga Badjao. Di mo pwede pag trabaho-in sila lalo na kung sa dagat na lumaki. pero perlas binebenta nya baka naloko lang sya sa presyohan tsaka dba mahal yan?
This is one of the issue we should look put for on how do we let our indigenous people cope up with the modern world at the same time letting them preserve their unique cultures and practices.
Just because they have different lifestyle doesn't mean we should look down and neglect them. They need our help and we should act fast.
I agree with you EJD. Yes, the indigenous groups are sadly one of the marginalized groups in the country. In fact, we should be proud of them for having preserved culture which roots back to pre-colonial days.
I hope the commission on this is really working hard to help our indigenous brothers.
Меня колееги совращают отмечать Новый Год за границей. При чём не просто за границей, а на море, в Египте! В принципе всё для этого есть, и финансы и ликвидный загранпаспорт. Пишу это не с целью похвастаться. Хочется посоветоваться с теми, у кого есть опыт встречи Нового года в тёплых краях. Как это вообще? Я, по правде говоря очень себе смутно представляю НГ без снега и маленькой ёлочки, ледяных горок и детского смеха, обращения президента, бутылки водки и немеренного количества мандаринов. А что взамен этого может мне дать Египет? По правде говоря, не был там ни разу, и желание полежать на горячем египетском песочке имеется. Но не думал делать это именно в Новый Год.
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I agree with you EJD. The government must do something for them. Especially nowadays, I often seen badjao people begging on the street. online attorney
I didn´t know, that the working conditions of pearl divers are so horrible.I hope that their life will improve soon. Irena from payday loans
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According to local Batangueños at Anilao, he is the first Badjao pearl diver who arrived in the area and has been a regular visitor to the Anilao beaches over the years. Some resort owners even await the arrival of Mang Tande to buy pearls.
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This has also been the way my parents earned their living],” says Mang Tande. While I was talking to him, his youngest son, a 5-year-old boy, inspects some shells nearby along with his older cousin. At a tender age, he ventures into the sea with his father. free online music, iscsi server
Their jobs seems to be risky but there is no point thinking the risk, all of the efforts will be paid off once they got lucky during each dive.One24
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Their jobs seems to be risky but there is no point thinking the risk, all of the efforts will be paid off once they got lucky during each dive.One24
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their professions are just like a custom made wedding gowns, if its not mastered then there will no perfect output. same thing as diving, if you have no determination, you wont succeed
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I agree with you EJD. The government must do something for them. Especially nowadays, I often seen badjao people begging on the street. Best regards, Katya, CEO of burn scar removal, iscsi storage software
I really feel so blessed of having a life like this, i truly salute this people for being so patient and determined to push life to the limit even on the brink of danger. Pearl diving is a very dangerous profession.
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I actually saw a documentary recently about pearl diving, is more dangerous then you might expect and those divers don't even use any equipment, some can hold there breath for over 5 minutes! it's crazy to think about but truth nonetheless.
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Хочется посоветоваться с теми, у кого есть опыт встречи Нового года в тёплых краях. Как это вообще? Я, по правде говоря очень себе смутно представляю НГ без снега и маленькой ёлочки, ледяных горок и детского смеха, обращения президента, бутылки водки и Flour Millsнемеренного количества мандаринов. А что взамен этого может мне дать Египет? По правде говоря, не был там ни разу, и желание полежать на горячем египетском песочке имеется. Но не думал делать это именно в Новый Год.
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