DSWD-7 Director Shalaine Marie Lucero. | CDN Digital photo / Niña Mae Oliverio
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD-7) has expressed its support on the ‘Stop Mendicancy’ campaign that the Cebu City government launched last November 4.
The campaign prohibits the public from giving alms to mendicants, exploited infants and minors who stay on public roads, sidewalks, parks and bridges to beg.
Cebu City’s campaign also covers those who will loiter on city streets to carol during the Christmas celebration.
READ: Cebu City public warned: Don’t give alms to mendicants or else…
DSWD-7 Director Shalaine Marie Lucero said in a media forum on Wednesday, Nov. 27, that caroling during Christmas and Sinulog celebrations are highly discouraged, especially on busy Cebu City streets.
“Because that is exposing our children to danger. Naa gani uban ana ma sideswipe, madisgrasya,” she said.
READ: Cebu City’s ‘stop mendicancy’ campaign: Carolers without permits face penalties
Anti-Mendicancy
Lucero said she was glad that the city government passed City Ordinance 1631 in 1996, in support of Presidential Decree No. 1563 or the Anti-Mendicancy Law that was enacted on June 11, 1978.
In 2022, the City’s Anti-Mendicancy Board started to strictly implement the ordinance.
READ: 20 minors rescued in Talisay City’s crackdown on street carolers
This year, the Board is pushing for an even stricter implementation of the ordinance after they noticed that there are still a lot of mendicants asking alms on Cebu City streets.
Lucero said that having a local ordinance will allow the City to call the attention of the parents who allow their children to either beg or carol on city streets.
When something happens to these children, the parents will be made to answer for their negligence.
“We all know that enforcement of the law takes a lot of determination, even as we advocate for that. It’s important to strengthen the advocacies and the efforts of the barangay to remind parents and to call on parents nga naay makitang mga bata nga nanaygon,” Lucero said.
Caroling
Lucero said that children should never be exposed to the dangers of caroling on the streets.
“The call now is to the parents to be responsible parents and take care of their children, because while caroling is something we loved to do and listen to when we were much younger. Pero kanang caroling nga mag gukod ka sa sakyanan, magdagan-dagan ang mga bata, risgo,” she said.
Lucero said that caroling should instead be confined in their respective communities or neighborhoods so that children won’t have to go out.
However, it would still be ideal to just make them stay at home for their own safety.
“But given the many challenges before our children and the risks that we will face with all the things that are happening around us, it is better not to expose them to caroling,” she said.