FOR some reason, the natural generosity of Filipinos during Christmas season seems tied with the upsurge of beggars on streets. Apparently, lots of our kababayans have used begging as their last hope out of poverty and they have come up with several gimmicks including singing of Christmas carols that are out-of-tune and out of place.
During this season, we will be stunned by children or ‘badjaos’ teleporting in between traffic, knocking on our car windows and handing out small envelopes. Many even put infants up front to draw out pity. Some have their own lengthy ill-fated stories about their families being stuck in a hospital or in a funeral parlor.
Now, before we believe that giving alms will help ease the state of street dwellers, particularly children, here’s what everybody should know: Giving alms to street kids is prohibited by law.
The late president Ferdinand Marcos signed Presidential Decree No. 1563 or the Anti-Mendicancy Law which ban infants and minors from begging for those last coins of yours.
Under the 39-year old law, those who use child begging as means of living will be punished by a fine (that is not fine, of course) not exceeding P500 to P1,000 or by imprisonment of up to four years at the discretion of the court. Meanwhile, those who are giving alms to exploited minors will be fined as well.
Proper government agencies and other non-governmental organizations can easily be reached instead of handing alms on the street. This way, children will be discouraged to move away from the danger of begging on the street.
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