Homeless have nowhere to go as Cebu City is under ECQ

While most of the residents of Cebu City stay indoors, the homeless have nowhere to go. As of now, the city does not yet have guidelines on how to deal with the homeless during the enhanced community quarantine. | Delta Letigio

CEBU CITY, Philippines — There is nowhere yet to go for homeless people in Cebu City during the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ).

Dr. Jeffrey Ybones, Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS) head, said this on Saturday afternoon, five hours after the city implemented the ECQ at noon.

Hours after the city implemented the ECQ, the public has turned indoors with minimal people and vehicles plying the streets.

Read more: Cebu now under ‘enhanced community quarantine’

With the emptiness of the usually busy streets, the homeless surfaced as among people still staying out. Unlike those who are exempted from the ECQ, the homeless have nowhere to go.

They lay down on carton boxes on the sidewalks, collect garbage in the street gutters, and beg to the few people who pass their way.

Task force

Ybones said that their task force had been working overtime to bring the homeless people back to their hometowns or own barangays before the ECQ began.

“Ang problem magsige og balik. Mao na nangayo namig tabang sa pulis, aron mahadlok unta nya dili na mobalik pero mobalik gyod gihapon. (The problem is they keep coming back. We already asked the help of the police to scare them away not to come back but they still do),” said Ybones.

The city government is in the process of building a safehouse for these homeless individuals in the city, but, for now, it has not been finished and cannot yet accommodate any of the homeless rescued by the city.

Ybones assured that the city would “double time” in sheltering the homeless as they could be vulnerable to the COVID-19.

The city will also look ways to find ways to shelter them.

Netizens, who commented in a post on CDN Digital of a homeless woman walking in Colon Street, suggested opening the parks or schools for the homeless to be sheltered.

Rama’s take

Vice Mayor Michael Rama told CDN Digital in a phone interview that he was disappointed that the city overlooked the homeless in planning for the ECQ.

“They should have been sheltered. Gi-una unta na sila. (They should have been taken cared of first.). I’m disappointed, ngano wala man na nila gianticipate tanan (why they did not anticipate that before). The city should have put up tents,” said Rama.

The vice mayor recalled that during his term as mayor from 2013-2016, he was able to put up shelters for the homeless in some barangays. He laments why these were not used at this time of crisis.

He said the city should have proactively dealt with the homeless even before the ECQ was implemented so that they would not be left behind.

Rama said that no one should be left behind when it would come to public health and safety./dbs