Over 100 homeless individuals return to towns, streets

CEBU, Philippines —  After being well-taken cared off in San Nicolas Proper for almost half a year now, over a hundred homeless people have either returned to their respective hometowns or went back to the streets.

Just a day since being sent off by San Nicolas Proper Barangay Captain Clifford Jude Niñal, the members of the City’s Prevention, Restoration, Order, Beautification, and Enhancement (PROBE) team had apprehended some of those that were seen back on the streets.

Ironically, Niñal was the one accused of asking PROBE to apprehend those street dwellers, when, in the contrary, he was the one helping them out since last March.

“Nakurat ko kay gipasanginlan naman nuon kong maoy nagpadakop sa mga homeless nga nagdada pa kog bugas ug itlog para sa akong makit-an na namalhin na ug puy-anan,” said Niñal.

He had been talking to them before they were sent off and hoped that they go home to their hometowns. If not, he asked them to find a job or a place for shelter in Cebu, and not go back to the streets again.

The two remaining LSIs, on the other hand, who are from Bicol and Surigao, are currently housed at the San Nicolas Barangay Hall until they can already get the necessary papers after getting some financial aid.

Niñal had been housing over three hundred homeless and LSIs since the start of the lockdown last March due to the pandemic.

The village chief kept those homeless for their own safety, as well as for the safety of the rest of the residents in their area.

Niñal, together with the church, some government units and the private sector, has already spent a huge amount, mostly for the food of the homeless and jobless individuals.

In the first week of June, most LSIs went home already, while the homeless left but returned when the city’s quarantine status was reverted back to ECQ.

IATF Cebu Overseer Secretary Roy Cimatu had also discussed about the street dwellers to be given attention.

The city’s Department of Social Welfare and Services then went to the barangay covered gym for profiling, but did not discuss their plans for them, according to Niñal.

EOC’s Deputy Chief Implementer and City Councilor Joel Garganera also sent several sacks of rice in time for the send-off of those homeless.

Niñal could no longer house them, as several projects in their barangay had already resumed. These projects include drainage works, and the improvement of the Taboan market’s second floor, barangay hall, clinic and the gym where the homeless used to stay. — GAN (FREEMAN)