Cubabro: Badjaos

We've all seen those people in front of the 7/11 begging for coins. They wear colorful clothing and are usually carrying children......yes, yes, we know them as Badjaos.

Badjaos are transnational, nomadic beggars best known for following you up the street trying to sell you towels and other shit you don't want to buy. They are annoying, but their a staple of Filipino society.

Since I was in the area, I decided to visit their home base. I was curious as to where to all come from. I went to their village in Bato, Leyte. I took a little floating raft behind the Bato public market, and honestly, when I got off it felt like I was in an alternate version of the Philippines.

I never thought I would say this, but Filipinos are clean and orderly people (compared to Badjaos)

They live in these stilt houses above the water, and they piss and shit directly into the water beneath their house. Their is no plumbing, no drainage.....it's quite literally a sewer. It smelt like straight up methane gas.....I was getting a contact high just walking around, something akin to sniffing glue or paint.

It was kinda funny to see the looks on their face, as I'm sure nobody ever goes back there, especially not foreigners. Their mouths were agape, literally EVERYONE staring.

I was kinda tempted to beg them for money, but I wasn't that drunk enough to be an asshole