Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 3) — Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Erwin Tulfo on Monday said they are studying the possible implementation of a “three-strike rule” for street children before they are taken into custody by the DSWD.
Tulfo said the “three-strike rule” would be a tighter measure in dealing with street children who are repeatedly being “rescued” by local government units and the DSWD.
“Kapag nakatatlong beses na ni-rescue ng pamahalaan, ng LGU ang iyong anak sa lansangan, tinitingnan namin kung pupuwede na bang kunin na ng DSWD ang pangangalaga sa mga bata na ito, tutal trabaho naman ng DSWD ang child protection,” Tulfo said in a public briefing.
[Translation: If a child is rescued by the LGU for the third time on the streets, we can look at the possibility of the DSWD taking these children into our custody since child protection is our job at the DSWD.]
He said the department will be consulting with legal experts from Congress and Malacañang about the proposed policy, as well as identify more actions to reduce the number of street dwellers in the country.
The social welfare secretary said he has directed since last week the preparation of reception centers nationwide, which are already sheltering abused women, to accommodate rescued abandoned children and indigenous persons (IPs) begging on the streets.
Tulfo also suggested putting up a public market in Subic or nearby areas in Central Luzon where IPs can sell their crops.
“They just need funding para makapagpatayo sila ng pangkabuhayan nila,” Tulfo stressed. “So that they would not keep on begging every month at hihingi ng pera at pagkatapos babalik na naman dahil kukunin ng DSWD, ng LGU.”
[Translation: They just need funding to put up their own livelihood. So that they would not keep on begging every month and asking for money and then go back to their original locations because they will be rescued again by the DSWD or the LGU.]
Begging or soliciting of charitable donations by the poor and other religious organizations on the streets is prohibited under Presidential Decree 1563 or the Anti-Mendicancy Law, which was signed by the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos.
According to the law, a mendicant refers to “any person, except those enumerated in Section 4 of this Decree, who has no visible and legal means of support, or lawful employment and who is physically able to work but neglects to apply himself to some lawful calling and instead uses begging as a means of living.”
Charities estimate there are 250,000 to 1 million homeless children and around 4.5 million homeless families in the country.
