Street cleaning
The Pope's visit was a jackpot for some homeless beggars. Around 490 ambulant residents of Manila were spirited away by social welfare forces and tucked into a cushy resort in Nasugbu, Batangas right before the Pope arrived. The purported reason for the government's sudden generosity? Some bull reason about training poor people on how to use bathrooms and toilets, and making them get used to the existence of doors.
These sidewalk vendors, at best, and beggars, at worst, were usually located right along the path where the Pope would be making his stately way down the streets of Manila. Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte has confirmed that one of the reasons for their "staycation" at the Chateau Royale resort was to "keep them safe", as their usual haunts would be filled with the crush of people eager to catch a glimpse of the pontiff.
Wait. So do we believe that's the real reason? Are we sure this has nothing to do with just prettifying the streets of Manila? Or maybe, even lessening the risks of pickpockets and other petty crimes as the creme of Manille descends upon the grubby tourist trap that is Roxas Boulevard?
Some lawmakers are not convinced. They think the government was white washing away the visible grimes of poverty, so that when the Pope comes, there would be no distressing sights of hungry children shivering in doorways.
Well, if that wasn't the reason, it was a strange coincidence indeed. How do you account for the inexplicable concern of social welfare officials when, just before the papal visit, they suddenly deploy seven buses to hoist the residents off to far away Batangas, where tv's, swimming pools, and five meals a day await them?
This reminds me of a mayor nearly a century ago who had almost the same idea. In 1918, Mayor Justo Lukban of Manila rounded up women of the night and shipped them off to another island in far-off Mindanao, where they would not be able to tempt god-fearing men into availing of their services. That strange, macho solution to prostitution resulted in a stuffy Supreme Court actually coming to the rescue of the bar girls, as they invoked the Constitutional rights of liberty and abode of the bar girls. Justice Malcom told the Mayor to get a life and live and let live (and other variations thereof) as the women should be free to live where they pleased.
Same banana here. Our homeless have the same right to go and fro where they please, and if the government isn't able to address their needs for shelter, well, the solution is hardly to keep them in prison.
One might argue, a resort is hardly a prison. Free meals. Exercise opportunities. Swimming pool. Nope, not at all. And I would agree, unless the resort guests weren't allowed to leave when they wanted to leave, in which case what would be the difference with a jail cell?
Of course, none of the guests complained about being held against their will. And how could they, considering they probably didn't know how to make their way home. Nor did they have bus fare home. And not while food keeps magically appearing on the table.
This whole exercise leaves a bad taste in the mouth. Even considering the purported reason for the fam-tour of that strange destination with mysterious doors and toilets, it's still not easy to digest. After ignoring these families for years, the sudden solution is a luxury resort? And then what? They are bussed back to the streets of Manila, and let loose to fend for themselves?
The proof for these programs is the follow through. What will government do after the homeless are taught how to flush. Will they be led into new homes awaiting them, with running water and lockable doors? Will they be given education and job opportunities? How are they then integrated into society?
The news reports tell us that, at the end of the five day freebie (which we taxpayers paid for), the participating families were all handed five kilos of rice, three cans of sardines, and a few pieces of clothing. Then, as recounted by a participant, they were dropped off at Roxas Boulevard.
Thank you for your cooperation, ma'am, sir. And I rest my case.
- Latest
