10 Meaning Making in Mindanao

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by Marshalleyeyey JJJ. BaB quuiaiaianonon , NuNuur-rr aia n LL. Sahibil& Judith M. de Guzman

11

Poverty in Sulu" e province of Sulu has been regarded as one of the poorest and most underdeveloped provinces in the Philippines (Human Development Network [HDN], 2008/2009; 2005). In recent statistical surveys, Sulu emerged as one of the provinces with the most pronounced conditions of poverty based on several indicators such as income level, malnutrition, life expectancy, housing, and access to clean water and sanitation (“N. Samar, Sulu, Masbate,” 2008; HDN, 2008/2009; 2005).

And yet Sulu was not always poor. In the early days, Sulu was a center of economic and political power. " e richness of Sulu’s natural resources made it a major trading post in Southeast Asia and a center of political authority as seen through the institution of the Sultanate of Sulu. However, several historical events, such as the systematic marginalization and minoritization of the Muslim people in Mindanao, the consequent rise of Muslim liberation movements and armed con# ict between the Philippine government and these Muslim liberation movements, have le$ the province mired in poverty (HDN, 2005; Schiavo-Campo & Judd, 2005; “Warrior Heritage Leaves Sulu,” 2005). Sulu’s socio-economic development was sti# ed by the negative perceptions of the province brought about by threats posed by the presence of some groups involved with entrepreneurial violence (“Sulu’s Peace and Development Initiatives,” no date).

" us, the poverty situation in Sulu can be understood as strongly linked to the con# ict and security situation in the province. It is within this context that we sought to understand how ordinary people in Jolo, Sulu make sense of poverty and in the process, highlight the implications of these meanings on peacebuilding in the region.

Ordinary People Making Sense of Poverty" e Muslim, Christian, and Badjao residents of Jolo, Sulu shared a common understanding

Research ProcessParticipants of this study consisted of 87 residents of Jolo, Sulu representing the three major social groupings in the locality – Muslims, Christians and Badjaos. We asked the participants to answer the following questions: (1) In your own opinion, what is poverty? (2) How would you describe poverty? and (3) What comes to your mind when you hear the word poverty? Although the questionnaire was originally wri% en in Filipino, participants were encouraged to use the language that they are most comfortable with. More importantly, they were free to provide as many answers as they could. We then encoded and translated the data to Filipino, in order to facilitate comparisons across the three social groups. In analyzing the data, we read, re-read, sorted and re-sorted the data, in order to ! nd meaningful themes.

of poverty as involving multiple dimensions. In particular, poverty was understood as linked to the lack of an individual’s basic needs particularly pera (money), pagkain (food), bahay (house/home), and trabaho (job). However, the Jolo participants did not merely describe poverty as the lack of basic necessities. In making sense of poverty, they also highlighted the following multiple dimensions of poverty: (1) poverty as economic, (2) poverty as psychological, (3) poverty as a weakness in character, (4) poverty as social, and (5) poverty as political.

12 Meaning Making in Mindanao

Poverty is a Lack: Kawalan Poverty was mainly seen as kawalan (lack) and as paghihikahos (destitution). People made sense of poverty by primarily referring to people whom they considered “poor” – the pobre (poor) and dukha (destitute). Poverty was also understood as a lack, a shortage, or a scarcity. " is means that people who are experiencing poverty are seen as wanting for money or wanting for food. " e Jolo participants also understood poverty in terms of poor people who have no permanent place to stay and who lack employment. " e insu& ciency of money meant that poor people can hardly buy food to be able to eat three times a day or a' ord a place to stay, scarcely have proper medication when sick, and can barely pay for

education. Having no permanent place to stay meant that the poor have no recourse but to live in slums, to transfer from one house to another, or to live in the streets. Batang-kalye (street kid) is a term used to refer to kids who virtually grow up in the streets. " ey are also sometimes labeled

Table 1. Poverty is a Lack• ! emes • Responses

• " e poor • Pulubi (beggar), pobre (poor), dukha (destitute)

• Palaboy (vagabond, vagrant), batang kalye (street child)

• Iskwater (squa% er)

• Poverty as lack, shortage, scarcity and deprivation

• Patay-gutom (starving)

• Kapit sa patalim (clutching a knifeblade)

• Paghihikahos (hardship)

• Kagipitan (! nancial hardship)

• Isang kahig, isang tuka (whatever people earn for the day is barely enough for their daily needs)

• Uhaw at gutom (thirsty and hungry), isang beses lang kumakain sa isang araw (eats only once a day), Hindi nakakain ng masarap (not able to eat delicious food), hunger

• Walang trabaho (unemployed), walang hanap-buhay (no source of income), walang pagkakakitaan (no source of income), tambay (bum)

• Walang damit (no clothes)

• Walang pera (no money), namamalimos (begging), beggar

• Walang pamasahe (no fare money), walang baon (no allowance)

• Way sin (no money), way panyapi (no source of income), way panyap (no money)

• Kakulangan sa kagamitang pampaaralan, pang-ospital, at pangteknolohiya (lack of educational, health, and technological materials and equipment)

• Walang sapat na nutrisyon (lack of nutrition), walang pambili ng gamot (no money to buy medicines), malnutrition

• Walang edukasyon (no education), way iskol (not able to go to school), hindi marunong kung paano pagsulat (does not know how to write), walang sapat na kaalaman (does not have enough knowledge)

• Natutulog sa malamig na kalye (sleeps on the street), walang permanenteng tirahan (no permanent home), butas-butas na tirahan (house has plenty of holes on it), nakatira sa bahay na gawa sa kahon (house is made up of boxes), nakatira sa lansangan (lives on the street)

“People who are experiencing poverty are seen as wanting for money or wanting for food.”