PHILIPPINES / SAMA BAJAU COMMUNITY

TITLE: PHILIPPINES / SAMA BAJAU COMMUNITY
TRT: 5:12
SOURCE: UNHCR
RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT UNHCR ON SCREEN
LANGUAGE: FILIPINO / NATS

DATELINE: SEPTEMBER 2021, KASANYANGAN VILLAGE, PHILIPPINES

SHOTLIST:

1. Various shots, drone shots of the Sama Bajau community in Kasanyangan village
2. Wide shot, Almalyn Akhmad walking around the village
3. SOUNDBITE (Filipino) Almalyn Akhmad, UNHCR community volunteer:
“I’m Almalyn Akmad, I’m a UNHCR community volunteer. I help by going house-to-house to inform my fellow Sama Bajau of birth registration activities. With births, people really have a hard time registering because there are a lot of requirements, so I help them figure out what to do.”
4. Wide shot, children walking around the village
5. SOUNDBITE (Filipino) Almalyn Akhmad, UNHCR community volunteer:
“I went through it too, it’s difficult to register a birth if you don’t have any of the required documents”
6. Wide shot, exterior of civic hall
7. SOUNDBITE (Filipino) Almalyn Akhmad, UNHCR community volunteer:
“As a volunteer, I help them because most Sama Bajau can’t read or write. Some are also scared of speaking with the civil registrar staff, so I assist them as an interpreter.”
8. Wide shot, interior of civic hall and volunteers helping
9. Wide shot, Almalyn and a Sama Bajau family
10. Wide shot, Bernalita and Bermaisa Bensali with certificates
11. SOUNDBITE (Filipino) Bernalita Bensali, Sama Bajau:
“The birth certificate is important because it will help. The teacher asked us for a photocopy and we have to take it to the school. It will help Bermaisa get an education.”
12. Wide shot, Bermaisa hanging up washing
13. Close up, new birth certificates
14. SOUNDBITE (Filipino) Bernalita Bensali, Sama Bajau:
“It’s my dream for her to be able to study and learn because I never learned how to write. In my time, none of us went to school.”
15. SOUNDBITE (Filipino) Bermaisa Bensali, Bernalita’s daughter:
“I want to help my mother so I can help other people. I want to be a teacher so I can help other kids.”
16. Wide shot, Bernalita and Bermaisa Bensali with certificates
17. Close up, Bernalita’s other children
18. Wide shot, Almalyn sitting on floor
19. SOUNDBITE (Filipino) Almalyn Akhmad, UNHCR community volunteer:
“Now they know the value of the birth certificate. They come to us now when they learn that there will be a birth registration activity.”
20. Drone shot, roof tops
21. SOUNDBITE (Filipino) Almalyn Akhmad, UNHCR community volunteer:
“Without it they can’t work because it’s one of the requirements they have to submit.”
22. Wide shot, Almalyn walking through village
23. SOUNDBITE (Filipino) Almalyn Akhmad, UNHCR community volunteer:
“It’ll help the families have a better life.”
24. Drone shot, roof tops
25. SOUNDBITE (Filipino) Almalyn Akhmad, UNHCR community volunteer:
“I’m really happy, it feels good to help, especially now because people really need to have a birth certificate.”
26. Drone shots, village

STORYLINE:

For many years the Sama Bajau community have made their livelihood fishing along the coasts of Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia. Known as itinerant seafarers, their lifestyle has hampered their access to services like education, healthcare, and livelihood assistance.

But UNHCR volunteers like Almalyn Akmad are going door to door to register people, and help them get their birth certificates.

SOUNDBITE (Filipino) Almalyn Akhmad, UNHCR community volunteer:
“As a volunteer, I help them because most Sama Bajau can’t read or write. Some are also scared of speaking with the civil registrar staff, so I assist them as an interpreter.”

Bernalita Bensali is from the Sama Bajau community.

SOUNDBITE (Filipino) Bernalita Bensali, Sama Bajau:
“The birth certificate is important because it will help. The teacher asked us for a photocopy and we have to take it to the school. It will help Bermaisa get an education.”

She said that it is her dream for her daughter Bermaisa Bensali to be able to learn how to read and write.

SOUNDBITE (Filipino) Bermaisa Bensali, Bernalita’s daughter:
“I want to help my mother so I can help other people. I want to be a teacher so I can help other kids.”


SOUNDBITE (Filipino) Almalyn Akhmad, UNHCR community volunteer:
“Now they know the value of the birth certificate. They come to us now when they learn that there will be a birth registration activity.”

With the birth certificate, people like Bernalita from the community are able to apply for jobs.

SOUNDBITE (Filipino) Almalyn Akhmad, UNHCR community volunteer:
“It’ll help the families have a better life.”