Motorists should not give alms to street carolers lest it would encourage them and make them prone to road accidents, the Department of SocialmWelfare and Development advised Tuesday. DSWD Secretary Esperanza Cabral cited reports of street children who are actually begging in the guise of caroling on the streets during the Yuletide season. “Caroling on the streets is risky, especially for children who squeeze themselves between vehicles and tap on car windows, or those who jump from moving public utility vehicles, unmindful of the danger to their life and limb,” she said. She said the streets are not the proper places for caroling saying that it is tantamount to begging which is against the law. Presidential Decree No. 1563 specifies that begging is against the law and covers exploited children forced by their parents or by syndicates to beg. Cabral said parents who drive their children to beg are criminally liable and may be jailed up to six months or fined up to P500. “If we want to help the mendicants and street children, we must channel this through the proper government agencies such as the DSWD, and non-government organizations,” she said. Cabral said the DSWD and local government units in Metro Manila recently launched the “Pamasko sa Bawat Pamilya ng Batang Lansangan at PamilyangNaninirahan sa Lansangan.” The project provides family gift packs, hot meals, toys and other social interventions and services to poor street families. At least 3,000 families will benefit from this project which runs from Dec. 10 until Jan. 1 Aside from the family gift packs, children and their families shall also be assessed by the Local City Social Welfare and Development Office at the Paskuhan Centers to determine their needs and provide appropriate interventions such as spiritual enhancement, value formation, parent effectiveness seminars, education and livelihood assistance. Paskuhan Centers were set up in areas where there is great concentration of poor street children. These are in Kamuning and Tandang Sora in Quezon City, C.M. Recto and Rizal Avenue in Manila, and F.B. Harrison in Pasay City. Meanwhile, Cabral clarified that the local government units and the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) are primarily responsible for the rescue of street children. She said the rescued street children are taken to the LGUs' Reception and Action Centers for assessment and provision of appropriate social services. “The DSWD intercedes if the LGUs cannot accommodate the street children,” she said.
