A Biophysical Economics Assessment of the Sama Bajau Communities in Barangays Malitam and Wawa, Batangas City, Batangas in Relation to the Calumpang River Watershed

The Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science Program of the Department of Environmental Science is pleased to announce to the Loyola Schools community that the Thesis Defense of Mr. Lorenzo Enrico M. Corro, Ms. Alyssandra Marie S. Lopez, and Ms. Lara Therese Mallari was successfully conducted on 13 May 2022 at 8:00 in the morning (online).

Mr. Corro, Ms. Lopez, and Ms. Mallari's thesis entitled, “A Biophysical Economics Assessment of the Sama Bajau Communities in Barangays Malitam and Wawa, Batangas City, Batangas in Relation to the Calumpang River Watershed" was presented to Mr. Raymundo Addun, Engr. Jude Estiva, and Ms. Yasmin Hatta. Their adviser is Dr. Maria Aileen Leah G. Guzman.

Abstract

The Calumpang River is a major water body in Batangas Province closely tied with the transportation and agricultural activities of its residents. Most recently identified as a Class D water body as per DAO 2016-08, it was hypothesized that water quality has been affected by the communities’ activities and that these conversely presented economic implications on the migrant Sama Bajau communities in Barangays Malitam and Wawa, Batangas City, who once heavily relied on fishing as their source of food and livelihood. A Biophysical Economics (BPE) assessment was conducted to analyze these impacts, correlating the water quality of the Calumpang River to the socio-economic situation of the Sama Bajau communities. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, information was gathered through government websites, previous studies, and interviews with researchers who had previously gone to the area. The analyses made showed that the degradation of the Calumpang River could be attributed to untreated livestock and domestic wastes that had been improperly disposed upstream and that this, in turn, has exacerbated the challenges that the Sama Bajaus in Batangas City have already been experiencing as a result of their poor economic state such as malnutrition, poor sanitation, lack of access to potable water, and loss of fish catch. From these findings, there is evidently a link between the economic state of the Sama Bajau residing in Batangas City with the biophysical condition of the Calumpang River as well as the immediate surroundings of their community. Moving forward, collaboration with the Batangas LGU is crucial to ensure sustainable alternatives for the Sama Bajau residing in Batangas and to prioritize the restoration and rehabilitation of the Calumpang River so their tribal culture and practices can be freely practiced once more.

Keywords: Calumpang River, Sama Bajau, Badjao, Biophysical Economics (BPE), Indigenous