By Junex Doronio
SAYING THAT GIVING ALMS to beggars will only encourage them to stay on the streets, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has urged the public not to give alms, in cash or kind even this Christmas season.
DSWD pointed out that it has already programs for street dwellers such as Oplan Abot, which provides temporary shelter, educational plan or enrolment to the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps).
“We discourage them po sa alms giving, sa paglilimos kasi encourage lang natin ating mga kababayan na manatili sa kalsada,” DSWD Assistant Secretary Romel Lopez said in the “24 Oras” report by Maki Pulido.
It has long been suspected that some street beggars could be members of syndicates preying on the gullible individuals.
To recall, during the strongman rule of former President Ferdinand Edralin Marcos Sr., there was Presidential Decree 1563 that penalizes persons caught giving alms with fines and jail time of up to four years.
(ai/mnm)
