‘Sampaguita girl’ in viral video a med tech scholar

MANILA, Philippines — The young girl in a viral video, seen selling sampaguita or jasmine garlands outside a mall in Mandaluyong City before being confronted by a security guard, is an 18-year-old scholar who sells flowers to help support her family and sustain her studies, police said yesterday.

Col. Grace Madayag, Mandaluyong police chief, told The STAR that the girl is a first-year medical technology student at a private school and has been selling sampaguita and fruits on the streets to make ends meet. 

“She and her twin sibling, a nursing student in the same school, rely on street vending to help cover their education expenses after their home was recently demolished,” Madayag said in Filipino.

Despite receiving a lot of support from netizens, Madayag said the girl is reluctant to pursue legal action against the security guard who shooed her away, fearing this might get in the way of her schooling.

“She has classes from Mondays to Saturdays and worries that pursuing legal action may disrupt her education,” Madayag said. 

The girl’s family, she added, also fears that highlighting the issue could put her scholarship at risk.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) made a house visit yesterday and gave P20,000 to the girl’s mother, identified as Nanay Judith, as initial assistance.

Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian ordered a case management interview to determine the kind of intervention the DSWD might be able to give, such as the agency’s sustainable livelihood program.

DSWD spokesperson Irene Dumlao said Nanay Judith told social workers that their household was a former Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiary.

Nanay Judith said the girl in the video sells flowers in an effort to finish her studies, adding that the incident happened before Christmas last year.

“They sell sampaguita for their daily allowance. They also save for their school fees and other needs,” Nanay Judith told the DSWD personnel.

According to Madayag, Nanay Judith also sells flowers in Quezon City and that the twins often travel after class to Mandaluyong, where they can earn additional income from selling sampaguita, noting that the family needs to raise at least P60,000 to sustain their education.

Madayag also clarified that the uniform the girl was wearing in the video was not her current school attire but an old uniform her parents kept and repurposed as house clothing.

Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said the security guard who was seen in the viral video kicking the young vendor and attempting to destroy her sampaguita garlands may lose his license.

Lt. Col. Eudisan Gultiano, PNP Civil Security Group spokesperson, said that based on their assessment, the guard’s actions violated ethical standards and professional conduct.

“There is a violation of ethical standards, professional security creed. We would also determine whether there is a violation of special laws, and if we can add this to the administrative complaint to the SOSIA,” Gultiano said, referring to the Supervisory Office on Security and Investigation Agency.

SOSIA, the PNP unit responsible for regulating private security agencies, is also looking into whether the security firm that employed the guard failed in enforcing proper guidelines on ethical behavior.

The mall’s management has dismissed the security guard and confirmed that he will no longer be assigned to any of their branches.