Some of the mendicants being processed by the Cebu City Anti-Mendicancy Board.
(CDN Photo/Nestle Semilla)
AT least 62 street dwellers were brought to the San Roque Gym for processing as part of the Cebu City government’s campaign to “rescue” mendicants kicking off Anti-Mendicancy Month.
One of those who were rounded up was Joel Arong, a former beautician who begs in places like the Sto. Rosario Parish Church.
He told Cebu Daily News that it was his first time to be “rescued” by city government personnel.
Rosalima Cimagala, head of the “Task Force for a Better Life” which is overseen by the Cebu City Anti-Mendicancy Board, said they have been rounding up mendicants for some time now.
Cimagala said most of those who were gathered were new faces, not the usual medicants gathered in past operations.
Gigi Vaño of the Cebu City Anti-Mendicancy Board said they teamed up with the Prevention, Restoration, Order, Beautification and Enhancement (PROBE) team and the city police to form the task force in the rounding up of mendicants.
She said some mendicants, including street children, resisted being brought to the gym.
Vaño said that the operation will continue until all mendicants in Cebu City are relocated to a better place.
She said this was not intended to clear the streets for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meetings in Cebu.
“The Department of Social Welfare and Services will help the mendicants to return to their homes or be referred to shelters,” Cimagala said.