City monitors night dweller activities

CEBU, Philippines -  Cebu City officials are closely monitoring some street night dwellers and vendors who are allegedly not only into making a livelihood but are into illegal activities.

“Masayod diay ta nga kana diayng (some) street vendors, dili lang na sila purely street vendors or street dwellers naa sad na silay illegal activities diha,” San Roque Barangay Captain Lidiore “Boy” Miranda said.

A few weeks ago, when the City Government’s Task Force for a Better Life was roaming around the city to transfer night dwellers to Barangay San Roque gym, the group found marijuana and some syringes reportedly in a bag of a night dweller.

Task Force for a Better Life is composed of various groups from private and government sectors voluntarily helping the city. It was formed last September.

“Didto man namo nakit-i sa gym. Pagka pirmiro daghan man kaayo ang butang… Niya dayon naa usa ka tawo nga ni-claim siya nga iyaha tong bag, amo siyang giingnan nga nganong niangkon man ka nga imo tong bag nga wala man ka ganiha kinsa may gadala niini,” Miranda said.

During the interrogation, it was proven that the person did not own the certain bag.

“Sa dihang gitan-aw namo nilakaw naman siya nakit-an namo nga naa dihay kuan (marijuana and syringes) didto gipangita siya wala naman namo siya nakit-i. Nagtoo mi nga nagkontakay nato sila sa cellphone nga ngadtoa to didto kay mao ni mao na inana siguro,” he added.

Miranda said they turned over the discovered illegal items to the police.

Due to the incident, the task force is now very vigilant and has assured that it will continue with its operations considering the number of activities lined up for this year like the Sinulog.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said the consistency of the task force’s operation is one way to eliminate night dwellers from the streets.

Miranda said since their first operation in the last week of November, the number of night dwellers has decreased.

Last November 25, around 200 street night dwellers in Cebu City were transferred to the gym of Barangay San Roque.

City Administrator Lucelle Mercado said the night dwellers taken by the task force would sleep in the gym and leave 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 niya pagkabuntag nanglakaw ra pud sila para manginabuhi,” she said.

Isabelita “Betty” Ganub, the executive director of the city’s Anti-Mendicancy Task force, said street night dwellers are not totally the responsibility of the city government considering that most of them are not official residents of the city government.

“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.

Ganub said the city government has a Balik-Probinsya program which gives dwellers free fare in going back to their homes.  (FREEMAN)