Barangay San Nicolas adopts homeless, LSIs

CEBU, Philippines — San Nicolas Proper Barangay Captain Clifford Jude Ninal is again adopting over a hundred street dwellers and locally stranded individuals (LSI) without the support from the local government.

Ninal had been housing hundreds of street dwellers and stranded individuals since the beginning of the community quarantine last March and only got to take a breather during the city’s re-classification of GCQ last June 1.

Aside from providing shelter to the street dwellers at the barangay gym, Ninal has also been providing food for them from his own pocket.

Luckily, Ninal also got some support from private organizations and individuals as well as from the efforts of SK Federation President and Councilor Jessica Resch to sustain the daily needs of the street dwellers.

Unfortunately, after June 15, Cebu City’s status was put again into an ECQ and street dwellers around the barangay had to be kept again for safety reasons and proper monitoring for COVID-19.

From only a handful, more street dwellers have come to San Nicolas proper again for food and shelter.

“Nidaghan na pud ni sila karon. Kapin sa gatos na pud. Problema na pud tag asa ta ug ipakaon ani nila,” said Ninal.

Ninal added that it is also hard to reject these poor people as they might get infected and possibly even spread the virus further.

“Lisod man pud ug ato rang pasagdan. Simbakog mataptan ni silag Covid, unya gasuroy-suroy ra bisan asa, samot ang atong problema ani,” added Ninal.

Without the city’s support and attention in taking care of the homeless individuals, Ninal could only hope that help from the private sector would come.

It was learned that even the rice distribution for its own constituents were taken over by the Mayor’s Information and Liaison Officers (MILO) of their barangay, so giving a portion for the homeless would be impossible to do. There was even an incident earlier that rice distribution was held past the city’s curfew hours.  GAN (FREEMAN)