From boats to ballot: Pride, hope energize first-time Badjao voters in Batangas

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BATANGAS CITY, Philippines – In the coastal barangay of Malitam in Batangas City, the Badjao community — a group long marginalized and often invisible in the country’s political processes — is now learning the power of the ballot.

On May 12, election day, several Badjao of Batangas cast their vote for the first time, bearing the hope that their ballots will bring about change for their community, long ignored and unseen.

“Ang inaasahan po namin sana po may makarating na tulong sa bawat tayong nangangailangan,” said first-time voter Alaysa Sultarani, with other members of Malitam’s Badjao community. (What we’re hoping for is that help will reach those in need.)

She and her family voted at the Libjo National High School.

Badjao community leader Sanny Alamani said new Badjao voters is a welcome development, one they fought hard for.

“Medyo may hirap, may tuwa…. Nakakatuwa rin at nakakapagod,” said community leader Sanny Alamani, after he voted in Malitam National High School. (It’s a mix of hardship and joy…. It’s exciting, but also tiring.)

He and other Badjao faced not only long lines and the heat, but also moments of tension and misunderstanding with other voters.

“Normal laang na may siksikan, may kaunting maanghang na salita na hindi magkaintindihan pati ibang mga Katagalugan,” Alamani shared.

(Crowding is normal, and a few harsh words when we don’t understand each other, especially with some Tagalog speakers.)

The small clashes and discomfort are outweighed by the hope that their chosen candidates will respond to the community’s most urgent needs — especially after the April 27 fire that tore through Sitio Badjaoan. The blaze, which reached the second alarm, destroyed 67 houses and displaced 97 families.

“‘Pag nanalo din sila na aming ibinoto, dapat tulungan [nila] ang mga nasunugan,” Alamani said. (If they win, they should help the fire victims.)

Road to voting

The road that led to more Badjao voting in the 2025 elections was not a smooth one.

For years, most Badjao in Malitam were unable to vote due to a lack of birth certificates, illiteracy, and unfamiliarity with government processes. There are 472 Badjao in Malitam. Another barangay in Batangas, Wawa, is composed of Badjao, bringing the total population for both barangays to 875.

Celsa Sabturani, a mother and long-time resident of the Badjao community in Malitam, beamed with quiet pride as she shared how members of her household, including her adult children, are now registered voters.

“Lahat po kami, pati mga anak ko, dalaga [at] binata, rehistrado po sila,” she said. (All of us, even my daughters and sons, are registered.)

For Sabturani, registration means more than eligibility to vote. It symbolizes recognition in a system that had long excluded them.

She credits this shift to the persistent efforts of barangay leaders, health workers, and even their pastor, who urged them to assert their rights.

“Kahit Badjao lang po kami, talagang karapatan din naman po namin bumoto sa mga tumakbong magiging lider ng bayan,” Sabturani said.

(Even if we are just Badjao, it is truly our right to vote for those who are running to become leaders of the nation.)

Overcoming barriers

In past elections, participation was difficult. Some couldn’t vote because their names weren’t on the list or no one was available to guide them. The absence of documentation and support left many sidelined.

“Noon po, minsan nakakaboto kami, minsan hindi dahil walang nag-a-assist sa amin. Nito naman, tinutulungan kami ng mga anak naming nakapag-aral,” she said.

(In the past, sometimes we could vote, sometimes not, because no one assisted us. Now, our children who have gone to school help us.)

The challenge is well-documented. According to Barangay Malitam Secretary Lorena Roxas, the biggest hurdle remains literacy. Data from Badjao Outreach shows that literacy rates among the Badjao in the Philippines are estimated to be below 10% — an alarming figure that highlights the steep barriers they face in accessing basic services, including voter registration.

“Marami sa kanila ay no read, no write, pero sila nakakapagparehistro dahil may mga nag-a-assist,” she said.

(Many of them can’t read or write, but they are able to register because someone assists them.)

Beyond that, Sama-Badjao voters in Malitam face even more gaps — missing names on voter lists, ballot confusion, and miscommunication at precincts remain common issues.

“Minsan, problema sa aming mga botante — nandiyan ang pangalan, pero wala sa loob,” said Sanny Alamani, the recognized Badjao leader in Malitam. (Sometimes, your name is listed, but it’s not in the precinct.)

Despite these challenges, Roxas noted that barangay workers, and younger, literate members of the community help guide voters to their precincts and navigate the process. For the community, voting has become a way to gain visibility and support from leaders.

“Dati hindi kami tinatanggap sa community dahil wala kaming birth certificate…. Noong first time namin bumoto…medyo maganda tingnan siya kasi nakakatulong ka at tutulungan ka naman ng city,” Alamani shared.

(Before, we weren’t accepted because we had no birth certificates. When we voted for the first time…it was good as you help, and the city helps you.)

Institutional support

To address long-standing barriers, the Comelec held a daily satellite registration in Barangay Malitam from February 12 to September 30, 2024, allowing over 200 Badjao to register. This was part of a nationwide effort to make voter registration more accessible to indigenous peoples (IPs)

This effort was part of a broader initiative to make voter registration more accessible to IPs across the country. Comelec election officer Shirley Dimalaluan said they coordinated with the (National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) to ensure that the Badjao community was accommodated.

“Through information dissemination [kami nakikipag-coordinate sa NCIP]. Alam sadya dito na dito sa Batangas City na mayroon tayong Badjao. Kaya sa bawat registration, sinisigurado naming may naka-accommodate para sa kanila,” she explained.

(We know there are Badjao in Batangas City, so we make sure they are accommodated during every registration.)

Barangay health workers played a key role in assisting Badjaos without documents, verifying identities and issuing IDs.

“’Yung iba, walang documents pero ang health workers nagbibigay ng ID para ma-identify sila…kaya na-a-accommodate namin sila,” Dimalaluan said.

(Others have no documents, but health workers issue IDs to identify them…which is why we’re able to accommodate them.)

These efforts reflect a broader national push, with the NCIP set to establish 64 Accessible Voting Centers for Indigenous Peoples in the 2025 elections — ensuring they can vote despite geographic or logistical challenges.

Looking ahead

Whether it’s access to education, healthcare, or representation, the Badjao are beginning to realize that the ballot is more than a vote — it’s a declaration of their place in society.

Roxas echoed the call for continued assistance, especially for families who are often misunderstood or mislabeled.

“Maraming maitutulong [ang gobyerno]. Dapat iyang [mga Badjao] ay matulungan,” she said. (The government can do a lot. The Badjao deserve to be helped.)

Celsa sees voting as a way to give back to a country that is finally beginning to recognize her community. “Kapag may eleksyon, gusto rin namin tumulong,sa pamamagitan ng boto namin,” she said. (When there’s an election, we also want to help, through our vote.)

For the Badjao, the ballot has become more than a right. It’s a step toward being seen. – Rappler.com

Andrei Nathaniel Macaya is a Mover, or a Rappler civic engagement volunteer, from Batangas City. He is a campus journalist at Batangas State University, serving as the Associate Multimedia Director, Chief Artist and Chief Layout Artist of the LATHE Group of Publications.

The Movers Program 2025 is supported by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom in the Philippines.

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