Cebu City vows ‘long-term plans’ to address mendicancy
Some of the street dwellers, who were rescued around Cebu City on Friday morning, October 16, 2020, . and can be trained will be given livelihood training. | Alven Marie Timtim #CDNDigital
CEBU CITY, Philippines – The Cebu City government is planning to provide livelihood training among street dwellers who were rescued in the past few days.
Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella, on Monday, October 19, said this would be part of the city’s ‘long-term’ plans to address mendicancy here.
“For those who are trainable, we have instructed the DMDP (Department of Manpower Development and Placement), care of Mrs. Shiela Daluz, to provide livelihood training for our rescued street dwellers,” said Labella in a press interview.
Last Friday, October 16, the city government, through the aid of law enforcers, rescued at least 154 individuals found living on the streets in Cebu City.
But most of them, according to police, had homes within the city and opted to stay on the streets to beg for alms, particularly at the churches.
READ MORE: Police: Most of the rescued street dwellers have homes in Cebu City
Meanwhile, Labella said last Friday’s rescue operation would not be the last, and that the city government ‘would not stop’ in enforcing the city’s Anti-Mendicancy Ordinance.
“We will be relentless especially after we found out the assessment that most, if not all of them, are Cebu City residents. They have homes but they just need to go around to beg and beg,” said Labella.
“This has been a many-decades problem in the city government… These people, they’re human beings. They should be rescued and that they should be able to understand that as a human being, begging and living on the streets is not just,” he added.
RELATED STORY: A street dweller’s plea: ‘Let us stay’
The city government’s decision to intensify the enforcement of the Anti-Mendicancy Ordinance stemmed from their observation that an increasing number of homeless individuals and mendicants roamed the streets.
They said street dwellers posed a risk of spreading the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) since they tend to crowd public places and sidewalks.
Cebu City is currently under the modified general community quarantine (MGCQ), the most relaxed form of community quarantine. /dbs
READ MORE: Labella orders rescue of homeless individuals, mendicants
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