Mirror, mirror: Who is the fairest of the Sama Bajau girls?
Ana Saburani goes on with her day-to-day life. She sells newly caught fish on the streets of Caragasan, Zamboanga City as her source of income. She forages the coast of Caragasan to look for sea urchins and seaweeds during low tide. But, as the moon rises, Ana retires from the daily grind of selling seafood and instead pampers her face with a cream that peels off her skin. For the cheap amount of 280 pesos, Ana slatheres the miracle cream to her face at night for several weeks to achieve the white skin she desires.
Apart from earning income, Ana prioritizes to look ‘ahapdanda’ or beautiful. She desires to look like Rita Gaviola who became known as the ‘Badjao girl’. Influenced by social media, Ana is among the Sama Bajau teens in Zamboanga City who adorn their faces with whitening creams and makeup to look beautiful.
From dancing to TikTok videos to broadcasting her daily life on Facebook, Ana projects to her audience and friends on social media the Sama Bajau beauty she possesses. She often uses digital filters and stickers on mobile camera apps to enhance her beauty. And during her downtime, she consumes social media and posts her selfies just like every other Sama Bajau teen.
Offline, Bajau girls from Caragasan, Zamboanga City dress up not just for special occasions like parties or weddings, but even on ordinary times when they need to travel to the town center of Zamboanga City. As though going to a fashion show, Ana garbs herself with newly pressed clothes while walking on wooden stilts in her community.
Pursuing beauty is an elaborate work for Bajau teens whose sense of worth is questioned by the society both offline and online on social media.
KATHLEEN LEI LIMAYO 