14/12/2025
To date we IP Leaders of different tribes in Mindanao such as the SamaBajau, Sama Banguingui are deeply concerned with the sad flight of our Co IP's residing in Zamboanga and other places in Mindanao. Most of our People still belong to the category of those so-called Marginalized Sectors. They have difficulty in improving their status in the society and find decent means of livelihood and to avail of the services, privilege and programs that the Philippine Government could provide them simply because our Co IP's particularly the Sama Bajau are nomadic people, hence, no permanent place to reside or place they could claim as their Home. One of the problems they face is that they are undocumented and have no valid government identification. Therefore, to remedy this problem is for them to be documented by issuing them Birth Certificates and Government valid Identification so as they could avail of Government Assistance and Medical Services due them. For these reasons, we appeal to our Government Agencies to look into the problem of the IP sector, and to foreign Governments to provide assistance to finance the delayed Birth Registration and for means of livelihood and a place where they could settle peacefully where they could freely perform the Custom and traditions in Mindanao and elsewhere in the Philippines. Our Organization, the Sama Bajau United Group Incorporated (SUGI) headed by this humble representation and other Sama Bajau notable leaders of Mindanao humbly appeal to our Government and Foreign entities to help us remedy this issue. On our part, we members of SUGI are willing to provide our time and effort just to put this vision into reality. Laksamana Raja Dilaut Email: [email protected]