Have you ever been given a gift that you really don't want? Maybe you smile and nod and fake a half-hearted thank you. Maybe if its truly offensive and you get angry. Well, the Badjao people of the Philippines are being a gift that is contradictory to every aspect of their being... large parcels of land.The Badjao are often referred to as sea gypsies and maintain a unique culture and society completely separate from Philippino culture. Essentually, the Badjao live on the sea. What little time over the course of their life that they spend on land is usually spent in a settlement near Puerto Princesa City on the island of Palawan. The Badjao settlement consists primarily of huts on stilts in the water. Ramshackle bridges perform the function of streets, and though the boards are often rotten completely through, the Badjao don't seem to mind, as time spent on the "land" is merely meant to reload supplies and return to the sea.Despite the romantic images living life on the sea in a tropical paradise conjures up, the truth is that it is a poverty-stricken life providing its people with no formal education and an environment horrendously detrimental to the health of its participants. The modern world has slowly invaded upon the lifestyle of the Badjao and as a result, food sources and fresh water sources have been drastically depleted. Any interaction with people outside the Badjao community requires cash, and not trade. This brings their traditional lifestyle into direct competition and makes their poverty a very real issue. The tide pools beneath the stilts of the Badjao settlement have become a combination garbage dump, sewage deposit, children's play area, and source of food. What attempts there are at organizing education for the children is often interrupted by long periods of time at sea. The Philippine government now wants to help, relocating the Badjao people to a more pristine area of the island, working on developing a stable communal area for them to live. The Badjao people are scared, however. They feel this move represents an attack on their culture. If they are moved away from the sea, the people do not know how they can possible survive. For centuries, they have been a sea-faring people, completely lacking in any knowledge of how to farm. Despite the diverse nature of the Philippines, the Badjao culture and language are so drastically different than anything else seen in the country, they are unsure how they could possibly fit in.It is yet to be seen how the Badjao will reassimilate into their new environment, but for centuries these sea gypsies have been a resilient people, and they will assuredly find a way to maintain their unique lifestyle and culture regardless of the many outside influences.