CULTURAL STUDY OF BADJAO BUSINESS PRACTICE AND LEGACY

Abstract

The aimed of this study is to identify the badjao cultural practices as well as their cultural legacy through survey of their cultural heritage. Three main topics emanating from the identification of their culture which include traditional practices (n=3; 37.5%); cultural legacy (n=3; 37.5%); and business practice (n=2; 25%). The descriptive research design with qualitative and quantitative approach was employed to identify the badjao cultural practices as well as their cultural legacy. The qualitative nature of the methodology pertained to the description of the badjao cultural practices and legacy while frequency and percentage of each iconic culture and coding of such description produced the quantitative data of the study. The initial subject of this research is the badjao iconic culture available online, Sinama.org, a virtual library which is the home of the on-line cultural resources that contain full text of Sinama Literature and Development. The rationale for the selection of each subject culture is that it is physically seen and actively claimed for badjao cultural practices. The data obtained was purposively chosen from that online database which thereafter subjected to immense cultural study by the co-researcher himself, a badjao who lives in the island province of Tawi- Tawi. It has been observed that these badjao cultural practices and legacy have helped them easily be identified as friendly, mild-mannered, courageous, and peace-loving people. The significance of these cultural practices and legacy is observed to have been relevant to their economic needs. These cultural practices have been taken so seriously in consideration of the desire to promote their own traditional practices such as traditional performing art, traditional knowledge and traditional craftsmanship that in return boost their tourism business which is necessary to better shape up the lives of their future generation. Said tourism business practice has been born out from the dynamics of these traditional practices which has a potential impact towards a wider inclusive economic progress. Its cultural legacy is seen to have been functionally worked for social development. Therefore, the preservation of their cultural heritage is a very potent social and economic investment.