Rains, the homeless, and basura

The merry Mary month of May has given way to June. This new month dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, had a great entrance, bringing the rains, Typhoon Dante even.

While very much welcome and appreciated now after continuing days of extreme heat, rains also always remind me about the homeless -- how they are faring without any roof over their heads nor walls to protect them.

Have you also noticed the homeless -- in sidewalks, or under overpasses, in front of empty bars/clubs, just about anywhere they can stay at daytime or lay their heads upon in the evening?

Some homeless are all alone by themselves.

In one tiny nook in front of a food chain, for days, this young homeless couple often just sat staring blankly into space, with worry and want written all over their faces. They slept out in the pavement and there, ate whatever food they salvaged during the day.

Then, there are homeless families -- infants/children and adults huddled in that tiny space near the bridge along the SRP. Some managed to put up small plastic covers as their roof, some old carton boxes as their beds.

The homeless are everywhere.

Sadly, concerned eyes no longer see them. They are invisible mostly to busy eyes.

When the sun is out, it is not their homelessness that is their primary concern. Food for each day is.

Somehow, they seem to be able to find drinking water – unsanitary -- but that is the least of their concern. There are certain street fire hydrants that have allowed not only the homeless but other community residents as well their free source of bath water.

When the rains come, and most especially typhoons, what happens to these homeless? Forced to be resilient and resourceful to stay alive, where would these homeless go? Will they be able to find alternative temporary “shelter” to tide them till the sun returns? What about during other calamities? Where do these homeless go?

Ironically, within Cebu City, for example, there are still a number of historic, old buildings that have solid roofs and walls that have withstood the test of time and rains, typhoons and other calamities. Until the city government can find some alternative plans for these old structures, can the present homeless be allowed to live out their biography now within the comfort of these historical durable buildings? Or until the city government can find alternative options for sustainably supporting the homeless, can they be temporarily allowed to seek shelter among these century-old edifices? Can the city government allow the past structures as present haven for the homeless?

With proper management and organization, for sure, a workable humane system can be devised with the homeless and needy cared for and treated as partners who will protect the historical buildings as their own on a temporary agreed upon arrangement.

Won’t that be wonderful to see? The past grand buildings as provisional shelters for the present homeless? Rains, typhoons, other calamities may come and go. Rather than be out in the streets or any vacant public tiny space, isn’t housing the homeless in unused but safe buildings more humane and worth considering?

Better still, if governments can easily allow hectares of land as home for basura (remember Inayawan or Smokey Mountain?), cannot the same politicians provide land as homes for human beings? Cannot the huge budget for truck collection and disposal of basura be realigned instead to provide house and lot for the homeless and the needy?

Why the ease to apportion hectares and millions for basura, rather than for the homeless and poor? Are basura and WTE (waste to energy) facilities more important than human beings and their homes?