DSWD: Group of beggars in Manila getting bolder, nastier

With barely two weeks to go before Christmas, social welfare officials have intensified their operations to get rid of a group of beggars asking for alms during the holidays. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Manila office said the beggars, who claim to be Badjaos, have become bolder and nastier. "This group [called Badjao beggars] is different because if you refuse to give them money, they spit on you or pinch you or hurt you. Their number is increasing, and there are indications they are part of a criminal syndicate. Christmas shoppers are at risk," Department of Social Welfare and Development Manila head Jay dela Fuente said in Filipino in an interview aired on dzBB radio. But according to a National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) article on its website, the Badjaos [Sea Gypsies] are friendly sea dwelling people believed to have originated from northern Borneo. "Traditionally they are a non-aggressive people, claiming to have no weaponry. When confronted with aggression, the reaction is generally to take flight," it said. Meanwhile, Dela Fuente said records from his office showed that the group has grown to some 400 members and the first batch arrived in Manila in September. He also suspected the beggars are becoming part of a criminal syndicate. "Nang hiningan ang mga myembro nito ng barangay certificate nakapagpresinta sila... Yan ang iniimbestiga namin ngayon (The groups’ members were able to present barangay certificates. We are investigating on this)," he said. Also, he said a team from the DSWD and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority rounded up a group of the beggars in the Blumentritt area at 1 a.m. Friday, after Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim ordered the city cleared of the beggars. According to him, the DSWD is mounting a massive "rescue" campaign, where the beggars are brought to the Jose Fabella Center in Mandaluyong City where they will stay until they are sent back to their home provinces. Dela Fuente said their records indicate most of the "Badjao" beggars in Manila come from Jolo (Sulu), Pampanga, and Nueva Ecija. He appealed to port authorities to be strict against these "Badjaos" at piers. "Minsan may bata, buntis (Some of them bring children, while others are pregnant)," he said. — LBG, GMANews.TV