Beggars At The Front Door

[Miguk]

Naturally while walking on the street some people (not many)will see me and you can almost see it in there eyes, "white guy" and out comes the hand. I just stroll buy or if I am in a jovial mood I will put on a big smile and reach out and shake their hand and give a big "how ya doing?". Then continue on my merry way.

 

That is irritating.  I used to work in Ermita and liked to go out for lunch but after a while had to give up because no matter which direction I went they were laying in wait for me!

[OnMyWay]

This topic is one example of why I like living in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.  Here are my experiences here.

 

The only time we had somebody come to the door was at Christmas.  We had 3 nicely dressed young girls come caroling, with guitars, and they were darn good, so we gave them a little donation.  Soliciting is not allowed in our neighborhood but this was the one exception I have had in almost one year.

 

Inside the freeport, beggars are not really allowed.  I have seen some very poor looking people being questioned and then, I assume, escorted to the gate.

 

A few times at the Harbor Point mall, a religious group type of person has tried to give me an envelope for a donation, but I just say no thank you.

 

There are a lot of poor looking local natives who try to sell you whistles and things at the places tourists might go, but they are hard working people who are just trying to make a living.  They don't beg, as far as I know.  I think they all know me now and don't ask me to buy a whistle anymore because they know I am a cheap local, not a tourist.  I am going to surprise them one day and ask to buy one!

 

We go to a certain Chow King once in a while, and the last few times, there have been some music school students inside, playing music.  They are clean cut kids and are allowed by the management.  The music is not bad and we leave a few pesos in the envelope they politely and quietly placed on the table when we came in.

 

I don't really see it in Olongapo City either.  I have think only once I had a kid approach the car, briefly, when I was parked, because he saw I was a foreigner.  The tinted windows help keep this type to a minimum, I am sure.  The only other time I was kind of approached was at my doctors office.  We were sitting in the nice air con waiting room that has large glass windows to the outside, and this really tiny and pitiful little girl came and knocked on the window.  Everyone ignored her and the boss ordered me to ignore her too.  I felt bad about her but most likely her parents were waiting nearby.

 

By contrast, when we went to BI in Manila a few weeks ago, we were badgered by the street kids while stuck in traffic.  They don't care if the car is tinted;  they jump up on the running boards and peek through the tint to see who is inside.  It is very sad.  We don't give them anything and I don't ever give street kids anything because it keeps them on the street forever.

[Miguk]

You are not getting the full local experience and flavor by living in such a sterile environment like Subic.  If you wanted that you should have just stayed in America :hystery:  Just teasing -- it actually sounds great.  When the Navy was still there the touts and bargirls knew who was "station dito" and called us kuripot (cheapskates) because we knew all their scams and wouldn't fall for them -- unlike the clueless sailors off the ships coming in for liberty call.

 

That is sad about this kids in the traffic.  It is even worse if you are not in your car and just walking down the street.  As you said giving is useless because it doesn't go to them -- they are just being used by the various syndicates

[FlyAway]

Now this subject hits me very close to home. When the wife and I arrived home from a business conference in Las Vegas, a guy walked up to us in our driveway. He was asking for gas money to get to the hospital. Claimed he had to pick up his wife who had money. He needed $20 for gas. WTF? Hospital he was going to is less than 2 miles away! Still was dumb and gave him 3 dollars just to get him to go away.

 

This was in front of my house in a subdivision. Seems everywhere I go now there are beggars. They stand in the streets with signs held up. "Please Help, God Bless". Week after week you see these same people. They do move a few blocks over from time to time. This occurs at most major intersections. We were seeing this in Las Vegas as well.

 

We cannot help everyone who is looking for a handout. Anyone care to comment on where our social values are going?

[Thomas]

We cannot help everyone who is looking for a handout. Anyone care to comment on where our social values are going?

Less hard to avoid beggars when I don't live there yet  :mocking: 

but when I have settled there I will aim at only assist with "Help-to-self-help" (except a bit to them who can't work because of age or disabilty, but I will try to make that only be from "profit" from such projects)*

but I expect it will be hard saying no to assist paying such as urgent hospital treatment fees :unsure:

 

*One Swede make "harvest sharing" deals just to be kind to some of his farmer neighbours. The rice he get buy that, he give to the most poor (old) villagers.

[Miguk]

This occurs at most major intersections. We were seeing this in Las Vegas as well. We cannot help everyone who is looking for a handout. Anyone care to comment on where our social values are going?

 

That's true.  We can't help everybody.  When I was growing up (the 1960s) you never saw homeless on the streets or beggars in American....now it is commonplace.  In a way it is better to be in the Philippines because the several dollar bills I am daily parted with from beggars on the way to work in D.C. could last for several days with the beggars in the Philippines.

[Old55]

I have noticed more beggars here in the States as well. During the day the pros work on or off ramps with a dog always a vet and God bless. Later at night it gets mean. Young men (thugs) hang out at nearly every 7-11 aggressively asking money, some very demanding.

[earthdome]

I have noticed more beggars here in the States as well. During the day the pros work on or off ramps with a dog always a vet and God bless. Later at night it gets mean. Young men (thugs) hang out at nearly every 7-11 aggressively asking money, some very demanding.

 

Yeah, the ones with the nice looking dogs I always ask how they get the money to care for the dog.

 

I noticed once someone at the off ramp begging who was finishing their 'shift'. The military duffel bag he picked up for his trip home must have been full of styrofoam pellets it looked so light when he picked it up.

[earthdome]

In Baguio I have only had kids beg aggressively a couple of times and their mother was close by. There are many beggars in Baguio but they seem to have the same spot every day. Most are either very old or have very obvious physical problems and are passive. I give a few peso's out once in a while.

[davewe]

 

This occurs at most major intersections. We were seeing this in Las Vegas as well. We cannot help everyone who is looking for a handout. Anyone care to comment on where our social values are going?

 

That's true.  We can't help everybody.  When I was growing up (the 1960s) you never saw homeless on the streets or beggars in American....now it is commonplace.  In a way it is better to be in the Philippines because the several dollar bills I am daily parted with from beggars on the way to work in D.C. could last for several days with the beggars in the Philippines.

 

Not my experience. I went to school in Philly and NYC in the late 60s-early 70s and there were beggars everywhere, even begging from a broke kid like me. Frankly the last few times I was in NYC it was much improved.