Former ‘Pinoy Big Brother’ housemate Rita Gaviola, popularly known as ‘Badjao Girl,’ lashed out at the hosts of comedy podcast ‘The KoolPals’ over remarks about the Badjao community that she found insulting and degrading.
Gaviola aired her frustration in a Facebook video after a clip from an episode featuring Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon went viral on social media.
During the discussion about flooding, comedian Nonong Ballinan asked Dizon why he had seemingly never seen news reports about Badjao being affected by floods.
“Di ba lagi po tayong binabaha. Bakit wala pa po akong nakikita sa news na nasalantang Badjao?” Ballinan asked.
Dizon responded, “Sanay na. Sanay sa tubig.”
The conversation then turned into a series of jokes about the Indigenous maritime community.
“Kapag lumusong ka sa baha, puwedeng makatapak ka ng Badjao,” one of the hosts remarked.
James Caraan also joked about the drums commonly associated with Badjao people asking for alms on the streets, saying, “Nonong, kasi yung tambol nila, floating device din nila yon e.”
Ballinan responded, “Ganon pala yon. Kaya pala gawa sa PVC pipe.”
The remarks did not sit well with Gaviola, who said she was furious over what she viewed as belittling her community.
“Grabe kayo sa mga Badjao, ha. Grabe yung gigil ko,” she said.
Gaviola particularly called out Ballinan, who, like her, previously became a housemate on “Pinoy Big Brother.”
“Ang ini-name-drop ko rito, actually, PBB siya before. Grabe kung paano nila maliitin yung mga Badjao, kung paano nila maliitin yung mga katribo ko,” she said. “Sila na nga yung may pinag-aralan pero nagiging b*bo sila sa sinasabi nila.”
Gaviola was particularly offended by the joke about stepping on a Badjao while wading through floodwaters.
“Yung mga sinabi ng isang lalaki na kapag lumusong sa baha, e, puwede kang makatapak ng mga Badjao. Ano tingin niyo sa amin, mga basura?” she asked. “Nakakagigil! Wala kaming ginawa o ipinakitang masama sa inyo, tapos sasabihan niyo lang kami ng ganon.”
She stressed that members of the Badjao community deserve the same dignity and respect as everyone else.
“Pare-parehas lang tayong mga Pilipino. Pare-parehas lang tayong mga tao, pero bakit sobrang liit ng tingin niyo sa aming mga katutubong Badjao na wala namang ginawang masama sa inyo?” she said. “Nakakagigil, nakakaiyak. Kasi wala naman kaming pinakitang [masama] tapos sasabihin niyo na puwede niyo kaming tapak-tapakan. Bakit, sino ba kayo?”
Gaviola also directly addressed Ballinan and urged him to think before making such remarks.
“Shoutout sa yo, Nonong. PBB [housemate] ka before, pero sana bago ka magsalita ng mga ganyan, sana inisip mo muna,” she said. “Ang utak mo pabaliktad, e. Nakakagigil, e, wala kaming ipinakitang masama tapos kung bara-barahin niyo kami, parang kilala niyo kami.”
She likewise took issue with the joke about the drums used by some Badjao people while asking for money.
“May sinasabi pa na yung mga tambol namin kesyo floating. Anong gusto niyo, magnakaw kami?” Gaviola said. “Aminado kami na nagmamalimos kami, pero ginagamit namin sa tama.”
She further claimed that members of her community often receive little assistance during disasters but do not complain about it.
“Kapag tulad niyan, may bagyo o anumang sakuna na dumarating, wala kaming natatanggap na tulong. Nagreklamo ba kami? Hindi,” she said. “Binabastos niyo kami, hindi kami nagsasalita. Kung anu-anong content ang ginagawa niyo sa amin, hindi kami nagsasalita.”
Reactions to Gaviola’s video were divided. Some netizens supported her for speaking up against jokes they considered discriminatory, while others argued that the remarks were made within the context of ‘The KoolPals’ being a comedy program.
Other commenters also shared negative encounters they said they had experienced with some Badjao individuals while commuting or in public places. However, such individual experiences do not necessarily characterize the broader Badjao community.
Gaviola first gained public attention after a photo of her asking for alms during the Pahiyas Festival in Lucban, Quezon, went viral in 2016. She later joined “Pinoy Big Brother: Lucky 7” and subsequently entered show business and became a social media personality.
As of writing, Ballinan and ‘The KoolPals’ have yet to publicly address Gaviola’s criticism.
