TARLAC CITY — Badjao beggars squatting in San Nicolas were ordered by the City Social Welfare Development Office (CSWDO) and Tarlac City Police to go back to their resettlement in Bagong Bakod, Cabanatuan City on Friday morning, June 2, 2017.
This operation was set up by the Officer-In-Charge of CSWDO, Jimbo Soriano, in response to a report that Badjao beggars already installed tents as their living quarters in a vacant lot beside Uniwide in Barangay San Nicolas.
Soriano was alarmed to see over 20 tents already put up and Badjao children already swarming in the said area when he initially visited before the saturation drive.
In consideration to the welfare of the Badjao children, Soriano made sure to operate in a diplomatic manner despite possible violent resistance from the other end.
After the pulling down of the tent community and when a dialogue was done with the aboriginals, they have agreed to leave with their belongings in the afternoon of that same day.
“It will be very difficult for the City Government to provide resettlement for them since we are still trying to solve squatting problems in several locations in the city,” Soriano said during the interview held in his office.
“Ang mangyayari ay unahan na lang ng mapapagod (It is a matter of who gets exhausted first),” Soriano would say whenever he hears criticisms and comments that the Badjaos will continue coming back to beg here.
He said the City will never stop conducting saturation drives until the Badjaos get tired of returning and until they deplete all their resources.
In some days, CSWDO would round up the said indigenous group and ask their leader to collect all the alms to be utilized for their transportation back home.
“Tolerance will only encourage them to beg with their children and even infants in the streets,” Soriano said disagreeing to the typical altruistic solution of people, which is to provide immediate relief such as food, money or clothing.
He said the City Government, through the CSWDO and Tarlac City Police, can only assist in restraining this problem since the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) is the agency mandated to protect and promote the interest and wellbeing of indigenous peoples.
NCIP is the office responsible for the formulation and implementation of pertinent and appropriate policies and programs to carry out the policies set forth in the new law.
Still, the City Government does not turn a blind eye on this dilemma and CSWDO continues to formulate plans to address it.
After the saturation drive, the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) and Task Force Market took over the cleanliness and orderliness in the said subject area .
The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) and Public Order and Safety Office (POSO) also assisted in the operation./Tarlac CIO