AN OFFICIAL of the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) has reminded the public of the existing ordinance that penalizes alms givers.

CSWDO chief Socorro Rojas issued the reminder after it has been noted that the number of beggars in downtown streets have increased brought about by the Yuletide season.

Rojas said the existing anti-mendicancy ordinance does not only prohibits begging, but includes imposition of penalties to alms givers.

She said they have noted that the beggars previously were mostly children, but now the adult ones have multiplied in numbers roaming downtown.

Some of them go on a house-to-house in groups in the guise of asking Christmas gifts, she added.

The CSWDO chief admitted that they are facing a dilemma on how to address child mendicancy since there are insufficient facilities to shelter these children.

She said a number of these children return to the street few days after they will be fetched by their parents from the CSWDO-run shelters. (SunStar Zamboanga)