
omarjan44@gmail.com
Omarjan is Sama-Bajau cultural researcher, activist, writer, and civic leader from Tabawan Island, South Ubian, Tawi-Tawi, Philippines. He is widely recognized for his extensive work in documenting, preserving, and promoting the cultural heritage, languages, and traditional architecture of the Sama people. Currently, he serves as the Indigenous Peoples Mandatory Representative (IPMR) and Co-Chairman of the Local Council for Tourism, Culture, and the Arts (LCCA) in South Ubian.
As a multi-talented creative and researcher, Jahuran has made significant contributions to literature, linguistics, and media. He is a celebrated bilingual author whose Sinama and Tagalog children's stories have been featured by the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), and he has authored sections for the CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art focusing on traditional Sama stilt houses and historic wooden mosques. His deep linguistic knowledge is further utilized as a translator and language consultant for the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) Philippines, where he helped develop the Central Sinama-English Dictionary and co-administers online cultural libraries like Kauman Sama Online.
Beyond writing, he hosted a weekly radio program titled "Pusaka’ Kamatto’ahan" (Legacy of Our Ancestors) on DXGD AM Radio for Peace to educate the public on Sama traditions (2018-2019). He has also appeared as a cultural worker in ethnographic documentaries, such as Seven Dances of Life (2017), which highlights the traditional igal/pangalay dance movements of Tawi-Tawi.