THE provincial government of Negros Occidental cannot give any assurance that Badjaos that were repatriated to Mindanao will not return to the province, an official said.
Dr. Zeaphard Gerhart Caelian, Provincial Incident Management Team (PIMT) commander, said it is the right of Badjaos to travel wherever they want, especially that the indigenous people are considered as “nomads of the sea.”
Badjaos are often known as sea-living people and have traditional free-diving activities, he said.
Caelian said there are no more Badjaos left in Negros Occidental based on information gathered by social workers of the provincial government.
He said what is left are those who are married to Negrenses.
Over the weekend, a total of 136 Badjaos from the Cities of Sagay and Victorias were assisted by the Capitol to return to their origins in Mindanao.
A total of 107 went home to Zamboanga, 24 to Basilan and seven to Sulu.
Before leaving the province, the Badjaos underwent swab testing and processing to ensure they are Covid-free.
The repatriation was coordinated by the city governments of Victorias, Sagay, the PIMT, Office of Civil Defense-Western Visayas, and the Department of Social Welfare and Developmen in Negros Occidental.
The DSWD provided the Badjaos with travel, meals and pocket money of P3,500 each on their way home.