Pandemic Effect: 149 out of 154 assumed as homeless, relief assistance seen as reason

It turns out that most of the 154 street dwellers in Cebu City had homes.

They were rescued last Friday, October 16 but most of them denied the help of the Cebu City Police because they chose to be on the streets.

They did not want to stay in temporary shelters because their purpose of being in the area, near a church in downtown, is to wait for the weekly distribution of relief goods from the church officials.

Police Lieutenant Colonel Wilbert Parilla, the deputy director for operations of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), said in an interview today, that only five of the street dwellers accepted to stay in temporary shelters because they lived in different provinces and were living on the streets because they lacked the finances to pay their accommodation when the pandemic started.

“The city will help them return to their provinces. Some of them are from Mindanao,” he added.

The police made sure that they underwent swab testing to make sure that they are not infected with COVID-19 before sending them home.

As for the 149 others who were not homeless, they will be charged for violating the city’s mendicancy ordinance if seen returning to the streets.

The officials of the downtown Cebu City church have been asked to stop giving relief goods directly to street dwellers and instead give the donations to proper government agencies.

Words by Alekka Kwinsley Cabalhug

Photo from Cebu City PIO