IP advocates, student groups denounce ‘Badjao Outfit’ trend as mockery of culture, poverty
GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews / 18 Sept) — Indigenous youth advocates and student organizations have denounced the so-called “Badjao Outfit” trend circulating on social media, saying it turns poverty and displacement into a punchline at the expense of one of the country’s most marginalized peoples.
The trend typically appears in short videos where creators start in casual or “normal” attire, then cut or transition into a caricature of the Sama-Bajau.
They put on tattered clothes, wrap scarves around their heads, smear their faces with charcoal, or carry props like cups used for begging. Some even sling real children or other people on their hips to mimic how Sama-Bajau women are often seen in the streets.
The trend has gained massive attention online. One of the top TikTok videos has been watched over 12.1 million times, liked 1.1 million times, and reposted more than 711,000 times.
‘Discrimination is never a joke’
The wave of condemnations began on Sept. 14, when Aljun Cayawan, also known as Datu Agong, a prince of the Manobo Tribe Agusanon, appealed to authorities to act swiftly against the mockery.
“Discrimination is never a joke. Using the Badjao tribe [Sama-Bajau] as a laughing stock only adds to the wounds of prejudice. Every culture deserves respect, every people deserve dignity,” Cayawan said in a Facebook post.
In the same post, Cayawan tagged the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs (MIPA) in the Bangsamoro region.
He also linked the ridicule to the Bajau’s long history of dispossession.
“The displacement of the Badjao [Sama-Bajau] from their ancestral seas and natural homes has forced many of them into the streets, stripped of their dignity. What we see as begging is a painful reminder of lost lands, broken traditions, and ignored rights,” he wrote.
He urged fellow indigenous peoples and allies to report online accounts promoting the trend.
IP student orgs condemn trend
On Sept. 15, the Indigenous People Student Advocates (MIPSA) of Mindanao State University–Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) described the trend as “casual cruelty” that turns real poverty into entertainment.
“What is circulating online as the so-called ‘Badjao Outfit’ trend is not cultural appreciation. It is mockery, plain and simple… People may think it is harmless, but it makes fun of a community that has lived through generations of displacement, exclusion, and hunger,” MIPSA wrote in a Facebook post.
The group also pointed out the irony of mocking the Sama-Bajau while benefiting from their cultural contributions, such as the budots dance and music style that spread nationwide.
“To borrow their creativity while laughing at their poverty is hypocrisy and should not be tolerated,” MIPSA added.
In a separate Sept. 16 post, the Indigenous Peoples Students’ Association (IPSA) of Mindanao State University–General Santos City (MSU-GSC) issued its own statement calling the trend a “blatant mockery” of Bajau identity.
“The ‘Badjao Outfit’ trend disguised as entertainment does not, in any way, appreciate the culture of the Bajaus but rather perpetuates the stereotypes that further cultivate the culture of harm and violence directed towards them,” IPSA wrote.
The group reminded the public that the Sama-Bajau are among the most vulnerable indigenous communities in the Philippines.
“To make comedy of the situation or culture of vulnerable groups like the Sama-Bajau is not just a reflection of a society that continues to engender apathy towards them but also a reflection of how far we are from achieving genuine cultural appreciation and understanding,” IPSA stressed.
Long history of prejudice
The Sama-Bajau, traditionally seafaring communities of the Sulu Archipelago and coastal Mindanao, have endured systemic marginalization for centuries.
Colonial-era agreements, such as the 1885 Madrid Protocol, disregarded their nomadic lifestyle, restricting access to ancestral fishing grounds and disrupting traditional livelihoods.
Over the years, armed conflicts and urban development have forced many Sama-Bajau from their coastal communities into the streets of cities like Zamboanga, leaving them stateless and vulnerable.
In the Philippines, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that many Sama-Bajau communities remain stateless, lacking legal documentation, which limits access to essential services and subjects them to discrimination.
These historical injustices continue to affect their social and economic well-being today.
MindaNews has sought comments from the NCIP and MIPA in BARMM, but they have yet to respond as of this writing. (Guia Rebollido / MindaNews)
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