Beggars Go Hi-Tech

[mountainside]

7 hours ago, CebuAndy said:

'Wala quarta', and the beggars leave me alone ....

I asked my Cebuana to translate.  She says "no money" and wonders how her husband didn't have enough street smarts to already know that.  Now I can say it to her!  Trip to Boracay?  New purse?  More Christmas decorations?  My new favorite phrase.

[P_X]

In the area I lived in before, there was a lot of kids begging.  A couple times they tried to put their hands in my pockets even. 

This time, I don't seem to live in an area where there are as many. There's one kid who always asks...near a bakery. I walk passed him with no response and go to the bread counter.  I buy 5 pieces for p20 and hand him the bag. It's becoming a routine hehe.

The other day I was in a taxi an a kid came to the window.  I ignored him but my wife was saying.."give him coins". I only had like 16 pesos..we tried to give it to him and he said it wasn't enough and walked away 🤷‍♂️...

Beats me

[JJReyes]

1 hour ago, P_X said:

The other day I was in a taxi and a kid came to the window.  I ignored him but my wife was saying.."give him coins". I only had like 16 pesos..we tried to give it to him and he said it wasn't enough and walked away 🤷‍♂️...

It's the same in the United States.  Panhandlers no longer accept coins.  On the driver's side of our RV, I have a plastic bag for all my coins since they are too heavy to heavy to carry in my pocket.  Even a bagful is not enough.  After two rejections, I took it to a Walmart and used a coin exchange machine.  Total was over $16.00.  

[Jollygoodfellow]

6 hours ago, P_X said:

The other day I was in a taxi an a kid came to the window.  I ignored him but my wife was saying.."give him coins". I only had like 16 pesos..we tried to give it to him and he said it wasn't enough and walked away 🤷‍♂️...

In Cebu you could be fined or given community service if they enforced their talk.

Quote

CEBU CITY, Cebu, Philippines — The local government is putting teeth on its ordinances that prohibit the giving and receiving of alms on the streets.

A composite team has been deployed on the streets to apprehend beggars, street dwellers and carolers on public utility vehicles (PUVs) as well as those giving money or food to mendicants, according to Dr. Lucille Mercado, head of the Cebu City Anti-Mendicancy Board (CCAMB).

City Ordinance No. 2304 also prohibits carolers along the streets and onboard any PUV. Its penalty ranges from a fine of P500 to five days of imprisonment or eight hours of community service.

‘Balik Probinsya’
Mercado said the CCAMB has received an order from Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama to strengthen the city’s anti-mendicancy campaign as part of his vision to transform this city into a metropolis like Singapore.

She urged individuals or groups who wanted to help street dwellers to coordinate with the local nutrition council, social welfare office or some charitable groups, including religious institutions.

Dr. Ester Concha, head of the Department of Social Welfare Services (DSWS), said more than 700 families in the city were considered mendicants or those who had no visible and legal means of support and instead use begging as a means of living.

“There is nothing wrong with giving alms, but to do it on the streets is not right. I think it’s high time to issue citation tickets to violators and put some teeth into our city ordinance,” she said.

Apart from apprehending mendicants, the DSWS also gave an option to nonresidents in the city to return to their hometowns through the “Balik Probinsya” program.

Concha said the DSWS was also willing to provide livelihood training to those who wanted to remain in the city so they would not have to beg on the streets.

 

Arresting teams
Raquel Arce, chief of the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) and anti-mendicancy board member, said there were several attempts to stop open mendicancy.

“For the last six months, we rescued several street dwellers, fed them, and advised them to go home to their town. But they would always go back to the streets and beg. For so many years that the city extended humanitarian assistance to them, I think it’s high time to implement the law,” Arce said.

Designated to apprehend beggars and almsgivers were personnel from different departments such as the DSWS, the CCTO, the Cebu City Health Department, the Cebu Environmental Sanitation and Enforcement Team, and the city’s Prevention, Restoration, Order, Beautification and Enhancement Team.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1708423/cebu-city-to-penalize-begging-almsgiving

 

I liked it during the pandemic when kids were not allowed out. Hardly seen a kid in the IT park but now they're back annoying me. When they come to me with a hand out I say, I'm hungry, give me money, and keep walking.

A few weeks ago a group of them was near our building. GF was walking one way and l was coming another so they did not see me. One got in front of GF and wouldn't let her pass but shit himself when I came up behind him and tapped him on the shoulder and told him to get lost. The others started to yell at me and become a pain, they run when I started to quickly approach them but l just go on my way. When l returned to the same spot an hour or so later they were leaving but giving me mouth but l see security was following them.

Bring back curfew.

Just to add, many l see here in the IT Park are not hungry, nice clean clothes usually give it away but just looking for money.

[mountainside]

6 hours ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

Hardly seen a kid in the IT park but now they're back annoying me.

Jeez.  I was thinking that if we leased a place at Ayala/IT Park upon returning to the Phils we'd avoid that type of harassment.  Maybe it's time for a new "mendicant rescue operation".  https://www.philstar.com/the-freeman/cebu-news/2023/03/28/2255023/23-mendicants-rescued-cebu-city  

Don't know whether your GF is Pinay, but I've read recent newspaper articles about how, on separate occasions, two Pinay IT Park call center workers were very recently the victims of armed robberies by Pinoys.  Pinoys harassing and robbing Pinays in and near IT Park?  Troubling news, if true.

Edited April 9, 2023 by mountainside

[P_X]

6 hours ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

In Cebu you could be fined or given community service if they enforced their talk.

 

Wow. Ok thanks.  I didn't know that 

[mountainside]

On 4/7/2023 at 10:46 AM, JJReyes said:

The new strategy is to present you with a QR code or similar digital wallet payment system so you can still make a donation.

 

On 4/7/2023 at 7:55 PM, Snowy79 said:

The Hawkers on Boracay have been using Gcash for a while now. No money no problem, here scan my code.

New entry for my "Bring To The Philippines" list:  a box of old dumb phones with no batteries or sim cards.  Show one to the panhandler.  And give it to him with a smile.

[JJReyes]

16 hours ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

In Cebu you could be fined or given community service if they enforced their talk.

Might be a good reason for Philippine beggars to get a digital wallet or QR code.  Cashless transaction.  Just making a contribution to their pension plan can be used as a defense.

In San Diego, social services and charities are issuing free phones to the homeless.  They can be called by agencies for medical and dental appointments, or when their welfare checks are ready.  The police are probably happy with the program since you can track the homeless through their phone signal.  If they enter high-end neighborhoods, they police could be right behind them.

[Doglover]

I give bums absolutely nothing. Let them get jobs.

[Old55]

Your first four posts are very short and negative. Have anything to share about your Philippines experiences with us Doglover?