City to continue helping street dwellers but sparingly

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said yesterday that the city will provide temporary shelter and food to street dwellers but will not give them reason to get dependent.

“I do not want people nga naa sila sa asiras mangatog. They will be housed temporarily. Don’t give them palasyo, don’t give them a motel, a hotel…not so much of comfort kay maanad unya, but rather treat them as human beings,” Rama said.

The other night, the city’s Task Force for a Better Life rounded up almost 200 individuals from the streets the other night and transferred them to the gym in Barangay San Roque.

City Administrator Lucelle Mercado explained that the dwellers were not arrested. In fact, they left the gym the following morning to continue searching for livelihood.

“Wala gyud sila gidakop. Gipamukaw lang unya gipabalhin kay nangatog man sa dalan. Overnight lang kay wala man sila katulgan nya pagkabuntag nanglakaw ra pud sila para manginabuhi,” Mercado said.

“Igka-gabii, sa Taboan market manguli nya igka-buntag, mangita trabaho. Duna gyud tay ubay-ubay nga natabangan. Nya nisuway sad ta atong container vans katong tent city, di sad kay init sad kaayo,” Mercado said.

Isabelita “Betty” Ganub, executive director of the city’s Anti-Mendicancy Task force, also explained that the city’s ultimate goal is to help bring the dwellers back home for free through the “Balik- Probinsya” program.  

“Dili gyud ingon nga responsibilidad gyud sa city. Usa sa tumong sa city government kay tabangan gyud sila makapauli sa probinsya nga libre,” she said.

Florence Balungcas of the Anti-mendicancy Task Force said earlier that the dwellers are forced to stay in the streets because the city does not have a center where they can be housed.

“Wala miy center. Walay kabutangan sa among ma-rescue kay kun naa palang gyud unta, dili sila mag balik-balik (to the street),” she said.

A few years ago, the dwellers were accommodated at the second floor of the Taboan Public Market, but the building had to be repaired.

Yesterday, San Roque Barangay Captain Lidiore Miranda said the barangay cannot accommodate the dwellers in its gym all the time because the gym is also being used for other purposes.

Still, Balungcas said she hopes that the public would not tolerate mendicancy and would instead channel their donations to appropriate agencies.

“Kun naa silay ihatag, i-through agency lang gyud unta nila,” she said.

Under a city ordinance, anyone giving alms, either cash or in kind, may be fined P1,000. – (FREEMAN)