• THERESA MAE DULMAN
Bacolod Councilor Israel Salanga said that the amendment of the city’s three-decade-old mendicancy ordinance is focused on regulation rather than simply imposing penalties.
In a phone patch interview, Salanga, who authored the amended ordinance, explained that the goal is to end the cycle of street dependency among mendicants.
“This ordinance is not just about the penalty. This is about regulation to discourage begging and instead will push them [mendicants] to seek jobs and permanent livelihood, and to protect our residents raising alarms over safety risks,” Salanga said.
He recalled that the push to amend the ordinance was triggered by a viral incident involving a passenger who was harassed by mendicants after refusing to give money.
The councilor clarified that the ordinance does not prohibit giving food to those in need, however, giving cash is discouraged because the city cannot verify where the money goes or how it is being utilized.
Salanga also highlighted the difficulties the city has faced in the past, such as instances where rescued individuals escaped from government facilities.
Under the amended City Ordinance No. 1112, fines of up to P5,000 or imprisonment can be imposed for aggressive begging.
The updated rules also penalize adult and habitual mendicants with fines and jail time to discourage street dependency.
Bacolod has also increased the penalty for giving cash to street beggars from a P50 to a P500 fine.
The Bacolod City Mendicancy Management Division and the city government is in charge of the enforcement.*
