Cebu City boosts effort vs street dwellers

CEBU, Philippines — As the Sinulog Festival draws near, Cebu City’s Department of Social Welfare Services (DSWS) has intensified its daily rescue operation of street dwellers in the city.

“Mahulog nga double time ta kay sobra kadaghan ron ang street dwellers dinhi tungod sa Sinulog kay daghan man taw nga naa diri, makapangayo sila,” DSWS chairperson Lea Japson told reporters yesterday.

The street kids along with their parent sing carols in exchange for loose change outside public jeepneys, unmindful of the danger they pose to motorists.

“Naa'y mohangyo nga dili lang sila i-rescue kay after Sinulog mamauli naman sila diri. Pero with their humanitarian reason, dili gyud pwede, i-rescue gyud nato,” said Japson, a former city councilor.

She said they extended the usual hours of rescue operation to make sure that the streets are orderly and peaceful during the festival.

DSWS team in cooperation with the Anti-Mendicancy team, Task Force for Street Children, Women’s and Children Desk in Cebu City Police Station, barangay officials, and other non-government organizations start roaming the streets in the early afternoon until late at night.

Last week, they rescued more than 100 street dwellers at the main streets of the city, particularly along Fuente Osmeña, B. Rodriguez Street, and Manalili Street among others.

Since majority of the street dwellers are not from the city, DSWS are sending them back to their respective provinces. Those who are from the city are sheltered at the Parian Drop-in Center and Community Scouts Youth Guidance Center.

For profiling purposes, the DSWS team will gather basic information about the street dwellers which include names, age, addresses, among others during the rescue operation.

At least 166 street dwellers were rescued by DSWS last December 2017. Japson then reiterated that the problem of street dwellers is hard to deal with knowing that these individuals keep coming back to the streets.

On the other hand, Councilor Eugenio Gabuya Jr., who chairs the City Council's committee on public services, told The FREEMAN that container vans will be put up as Devotee City on the grounds of Compaña Maritima sometime this week.

He said they requested at least 120 container vans from 2GO cargo firm. The container vans accommodate at least 3,600 individuals.

The Devotee City is intended for pilgrims who don't have a place to stay during the Sinulog festivities. (FREEMAN)