CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City government continued at dawn on Tuesday, October 20, its rescue of street dwellers to send them back to their hometowns.
Cebu City policemen and members of the city’s Prevention Restoration Order Beautification Enhancement (PROBE) team rescued at least 170 individuals during their second operation.
“We want to protect them from the health risks during this pandemic and provide them with temporary shelter until they can return to their hometowns is among the solutions we are implementing,” said Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella.
Rescued individuals will be placed under the care of the Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS) until such time that arrangements are made for their return home.
As of this writing, DSWS continue to process the street dwellers to especially determine their home addresses.
The rescue operation was part of the city’s effort to clear its sidewalks of mendicants.
On Friday, police and the city’s PROBE Team also rescued a total of 154 individuals, most of whom were found to have homes in the city. They stay on the sidewalks of downtown Cebu City to ask for alms and to be closer to a church that distributes relief goods to street dwellers.
READ: Police: Most of the rescued street dwellers have homes in Cebu City
Below are photos of the Tuesday dawn rescue operation courtesy of Cebu City’s PIO:
