Mandaue to take mendicants off city streets

CEBU, Philippines —  Informal dwellers in most city streets in Mandaue City will soon be uprooted after they have proliferated, especially that the advent of the yuletide season is quite apparent.

These include beggars, Badjaos, mentally disturbed people and those people and families using the elevated walkways as their dwelling place.

“Even with the aggressive efforts of our proper authorities in trying to spruce up the city’s image by kicking beggars, Badjaos and insane people off the streets, still they remained fixtures of the Mandaue cityscape,” part of the City Council resolution reads.

Sponsored by Councilor Jimmy Lumapas, chairperson of the social services committee, the resolution stated that to showcase the economic rise of the city and to create a civilized and sound environment, it is fitting and proper to uproot this illegal activity that tarnishes the city’s good image.

The resolution said that a massive influx of these migrants from the rural areas and Mindanao who are carolers for the upcoming yuletide season are mostly found along the busy streets of A.S. Fortuna, U.N. Avenue, M.C. Briones, North Reclamation Area, A.C. Cortes and Highway Seno.

Most of these young beggars, Lumapas stated, are exploited children or those who are utilized by their own parents or allegedly controlled by syndicates that run a “mendicant” business.

Lumapas said that any child found begging in the streets should be placed under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), since they have a special program for these kinds of children.

He also added that there are also some people who are not in their proper frame of mind and unconsciously display scandalous behavior in the public, whereby the city’s good image is compromised.

“The City Government of Mandaue is committed to strictly implement the Anti-Mendicancy Law and exercise due diligence in launching this campaign in order to build up a more harmonious, civilized and sound urban environment,” the resolution further reads. — GMR (FREEMAN)