Rescue of street dwellers continues

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City government’s “rescue” of street children and night dwellers will continue even after 51st International Eucharistic Congress  already ended last January 31.

Mayor Michael Rama, who will officially return tomorrow after serving a two-month preventive suspension, said the operation was not only for the Sinulog or the IEC.

“That should not be stopped. That is a continuing project even Sinulog. Even before IEC. That’s a matter that cannot be stopped. That should proceed,” he said.

Rama said the city continuing to pick up street children and night dwellers would be one of his directives to the different City Hall departments when he start reporting for work tomorrow.

Sought for comment, Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council Operations Chief Alvin Santillana said the city has not stopped its “rescue operations” after the IEC.

A week prior to the IEC, which started last January 24, the city and other stakeholders have rounded up and removed from the city’s streets 15 families.

“We will still continue our program. We are doing the program. Gani, there are some families nga atong na-rescue na after sa IEC nga atong gibutang gihapon sa Compaña Maritima,” said Santillana, the city’s Task Force for Better Life program officer.

He said the Cebu Ports Authority has agreed for the city government to continue using Compaña Maritima for the “rescued” street dwellers until the city’s holding center is finished.

Cebu City Department of Social Welfare and Services Chief Ester Concha, on the other hand, said the holding center will be done before February 24, which is Cebu City’s Charter Day.

She said the P4-million center, which is near the Gawad Kalinga Building in Barangay Lorega-San Miguel, can house 200 individuals.

Concha, however, belied allegations that the “rescue operations” were an attempt to make the city look “clean” for the 51st IEC, which was attended by 15,000 Filipino and foreign delegates.

The city, she said, has conducted similar operations before the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum August last year and of the Sinulog festivities January this year.

Santillana, on the other hand, said the city has been regularly rounding up street children and street night dwellers without the events, arguing that rescue operations only gets highlighted if there are big events in Cebu.

 “We will call for a meeting with all the stakeholders to discuss the plans after the IEC. Stakeholders include the Cebu Province, city, anti-mendicancy board… those interested to help,” he said, adding that 40 families have been rounded up after the IEC.

“Naay 40 plus nga families. But, mogamay and mosaka ang number everyday kay they usually go out in the morning to do vending. Mawala na sila diha sa Maritima,” he said.

Concha said three teams tasked to rescue night dwellers have rounded up more than five families every day last week.

“Ang uban naay mga balay diri but ganahan lang gyod sa dan matog kay kapuyan manguli. Ang uban pod mangukay og basura,” she said.

Concha said DSWS has also implemented the city’s Balik Probinsya program, where those coming from Cebu towns and provinces outside Cebu are provided with fare and other items so they could go home for free.

She said she noticed that number of families rescued after the Sinulog  and the IEC have decreased compared to normal days or those instances when there are no big events in the city.

She said her office also responds to the street children seen sniffing “rugby” (industrial glue).

“Kanang mga bata nga mag-rugby, apil na sa comprehensive program nato with DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development),” she said, adding that the orientation on the program will start this week.  (FREEMAN)