Bajau families in Tawi-Tawi lack access to clean water
Lack of safe and clean water affects the daily lives of children in indigenous communities
Tawi-Tawi, 15 May 2024 – The Milikan family wash their dishes on the floor, on the same spot where they bathe and wash themselves. About half a meter away is the spot where they squat and defecate.
Belonging to the ethnic group Sama Dilaut (more commonly known as Bajau), the Milikan family live in a stilt community at Barangay Tubig Tanah in Bongao, Tawi-Tawi, in the southernmost province of the Philippines. It is about 1,500 kilometers southwest of the capital Manila.
“We use seawater for most of our needs,” says Lyka, 13, the eldest child, as she hunches at the back door of the house and fetches water from below using a plastic bucket tied with a rope. As with the hundreds of stilt houses at the barangay, the house of the Milikan family has no running water and indoor plumbing.
“We scrimp on fresh water because we have to buy it,” says Lyka. “We use fresh water for rinsing the dishes and for cooking and drinking only.”
Usually the family have to buy fresh water from the store. They also catch rainwater from their roof or walk to the shore and cross the street to fetch water from a well, which could not be relied on during dry seasons because it dries up.
Costly fresh water
“Water is expensive,” says Persian, Lyka’s father. A store in another stilt house sells fresh water for about one peso per liter. “We spend up to fifty pesos every day.” Persian finds the amount hefty since his earnings are meager as a laborer at the public market.
Persian’s family live with his sisters, two of whom have a child each, so the household consists of five adults and five children. Aside from Persian, the only other adult who earns in the household is his elder sister, who tends a small store at the front of the house.
“Water supply is really a problem here,” says Hadja Meriam Tangkusan, another resident of the stilt community and a parent leader in the government’s conditional cash transfer program. “I wish we had at least a tank that could store free potable water for the whole community. We need help.”
Actions needed
The provincial government admits that much remains to be done on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in Tawi-Tawi. “We are still taking baby steps,” says Mobin Gampal, the provincial administrator. “We are in the process of creating a WASH Council, which will formulate relevant policies.”
Sangkula Laja, the provincial health officer, says that diarrhea is the third most common illness in Tawi-Tawi. “People get sick due to unsanitary practices, and most of all they don’t have access to safe drinking water,” he explains. “The best way to solve this problem is to have community-based WASH programs.”
UNICEF notes that over 700 children under 5 years of age worldwide die every day of diarrheal diseases due to lack of appropriate WASH services. As a response, the organization aims to ensure that “every child, including adolescents, uses safe and equitable WASH services and lives in a safe and sustainable climate and environment,” as stated in The UNICEF Strategic Plan, 2022–2025.
UNICEF is working toward the goal by “expanding its private sector engagement and seeking innovative financing to reach the most vulnerable communities” and by continuing to “support national governments to improve monitoring, leadership and accountability for coordination that results in predictable, effective and high-quality WASH service delivery, including in humanitarian crises and fragile settings.” In the Bangsamoro Region, UNICEF Philippines works with the Ministry of Health and the Local Government Units in achieving zero open defecation, ensuring access to safe water, promoting hygiene practices, and ensuring policies are in place to ensure accountability and sustainability through the support and funding of the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation.
A child’s wishes
Persian shares that his children suffer from diarrhea from time to time. “To ease their pain, I give them unsweetened coffee or tea made from guava leaves,” he says. “If they get worse, I bring them to the hospital.”
Lyka dreams of becoming a doctor someday. “I want to help the sick, especially my fellow Bajaus,” she says. “I feel that we’re neglected.” The first child of her parents died when the child was just several months old, before Lyka was born, and her mother died a few years ago. The causes of the deaths were uncertain.
Lyka’s other dream is more achievable, but still comes with plenty of challenges. “I wish our house were complete, with clean running water and a proper comfort room.”
