AllMovie

Badjao, the name of a Filipino ethnic group of fisherfolk and pearl divers, is a simple but effective romantic drama about cultural clashes and their meaning. Hassan (Tony Santos) is a Badjao who has fallen in love with Bala Amoi (Rosa Rosal), a woman from the Taosug clan or tribe. Since time immemorial, the two ethnic groups have been at loggerheads. The Taosugs are economically stable farmers and traders and are well aware of their "superior" status. Hassan braves condemnation on all sides when he goes to ask the Taosug ruler for permission to marry Bala. Avaricious and arrogant, the ruler presents the biggest stumbling block to reconciliation between the two groups, and certainly to Hassan's marriage. If he does not agree, then Hassan and Bala have to consider their alternatives.