COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES FOR ENHANCING THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLE'S SOCIAL INTEGRATION IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY

The research was conducted to identify communication strategies to enhance the Badjao migrants’ social integration in Barangay Malitam, Batangas City. Using descriptive research design, data were gathered through focus group discussion, key informant interview, observation and storytelling. Research participants include the Badjao migrants, the community leader and his wife, the tribe leader of the Badjaos, the barangay captain, and the CSWD officer of Batangas City. Social integration of the Badjaos centers on the local community’s accommodation of the Badjaos and the Badjaos’ acculturation of the social life of the community. The local government and the community accommodated the Badjaos by assigning a leader, getting involved in intermarriage, learning the dialect, including the Badjao children in free education, granting 4Ps program to qualified Badjao families, allowing the Badjaos to vote, improving health and sanitation, addressing young marriages, providing livelihood, settling community problems, handling calamities and building partnerships. To be acculturated, the Badjaos try to learn the Tagalog dialect, abide the policies by local government, join other religious organizations, practice Batangueno culture, use communication media such as television and cellphones, form organizations, and respect local government leaders to establish and maintain harmonious relationships. The Badjaos were integrated in the community with the help of a communication process that involves information seeking and sharing during accommodation and acculturation. From the data gathered, the researcher proposed communication strategies to facilitate the social integration of the Badjao migrants in the local community of Batangas. A conceptual framework was also proposed based on the data gathered.