Yes, Cebu City has a law that criminalizes begging. Wait. That sounds pretty harsh — anti-poor, even. So, let me rephrase.
Cebu City has an ordinance — Ordinance 1631 — enacted as far back as 1996, known as the Anti-Mendicancy Ordinance. “Mendicancy” is a fancy-schmancy word that refers to the practice of “begging for money, food, or charitable donations as a primary means of livelihood.” It is anchored on Presidential Decree 1563, or the Anti-Mendicancy Law of 1978.
For those who don’t know, both laws prohibit “the act of begging in public places, buildings, offices and commercial establishments, including on the streets and onboard public utility vehicles.” I’m not sure, though, if the latter also penalizes the giver as well as the beggar, which the former does. Either way, both laws deem the act illegal.
Are we all up to speed?
Some say it goes against the teachings of Christianity, which strongly emphasize helping those in need “as a fundamental expression of faith, rooted in compassion for the poor, marginalized and vulnerable.” Which, come to think of it, it does. But if you look closely, the country’s — and by extension Cebu City’s — Anti-Mendicancy Law has a noble aim: “to eliminate begging, protect children from exploitation, and rehabilitate beggars by providing them with social services rather than fostering dependence on alms.”
It’s easy to get on our moral high horse and judge or condemn those who accost strangers for money. It’s easy to brand them as a nuisance or as eyesores because they don’t jibe with the image we are trying to project of our city to the outside world.
Don’t get me wrong. I don’t approve of them — for the most part. You see, in begging, not everything is created equal. Some are genuinely at the end of their rope, having no choice but to resort to this practice. And you, as a decent human being, can usually discern who is deserving of your assistance and who is not. Ultimately, it boils down to you whether to give or not.
I, as a rule, do not give. Not because it’s against the law. Not because I am un-Christian. And not because I am downright mean and rotten to the core — which, in hindsight, maybe I am. Just a tad. But because I don’t believe in encouraging them to rely on the kindness of strangers for their existence. I don’t want to enable a toxic “culture of dependency.”
I think this is where the majority of the population and I agree with the government. We want to help the poor become self-reliant and maintain their dignity. Having said that, I can hear thunder boom from the distance and see the lightning streak across the sky.
You know what I mean?
But — and it’s a big BUT — we all know that in life, nothing is completely black or white. There are those who actually deserve our help. And I’m not talking about the overweight woman with her props of half-naked kids who tries to make eye contact with pedestrians on the skywalk beside the Fuente Rotunda so she can take advantage of their innate kindness. Not that I am judging — which I clearly am. Nor am I talking about those who enter eateries, approach diners for money, and do not leave until they get some. Not that I am speaking from experience — which I also clearly am.
At the end of the day, I don’t care if some of them dress or play the part and end up tugging at your heartstrings. Because some of them will. Before you know it, you reach into your pocket and hand over whatever coins or change you have.
Also, I’ve learned my lesson. I have always been vocal about my disdain for them until a good friend, with a very kind heart but apparently no patience for whiners like yours truly, gently reminded me that if I wasn’t going to give them anything, then I should just stay quiet. He had a point. I saw that. Which would explain why I am not huffing and puffing against the practitioners of the world’s second-oldest profession. Oh, and I just made up that last part.
So, to those of you out there who are actually reading this, you’re probably wondering: why am I going back to this topic all of a sudden?
Well, it’s because of what happened on May 7, 2026. Someone videoed members of Cebu City’s Anti-Mendicancy Office taking into custody a 68-year-old man playing harmonica on the sidewalk along Colon St., who, it turned out, was hoping to earn enough coins to buy food for his three-year-old grandchild.
I could faintly hear the sound of violins and was about to take my handkerchief out when the “suspect” said he was not soliciting, but was simply playing music while accepting voluntary donations from passersby. Yeah. And I’m still 36 with a full set of hair.
Whether or not what the City did was wrong — and it was not, under the law — the optics did not help its already badly tarnished image. We all know the number of beggars has increased these past years, a fact which the mayor acknowledged and attributed to worsening economic conditions. He appealed to the public and charitable groups to coordinate with the City instead of giving money to street dwellers because he didn’t want to encourage more people to seek alms here. Strangely enough, he made no mention of what his administration is doing to address the problem.
As I have said earlier, I’ve learned my lesson to keep my peace, especially when I myself can’t offer any viable solutions, but that doesn’t apply to the City, which, under the law, is mandated to provide them with “skills training, livelihood programs, or assistance in returning to their home provinces through the ‘Balik Probinsya’ program.”
