The Badjaos who were rescued last Friday (Nov. 18) in NCR. They were given P10,000 per family which they can use as capital when they returned home.
DSWD starts rescuing Badjao and Aeta people who beg on the streets during Christmas Season
THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has begun rescuing Badjao and Aeta people who go to Metro Manila and other big cities in the country to beg on the streets during the Christmas season.
According to DSWD Secretary Erwin Tulfo, they formally started the rescue operation last November 18, and in Metro Manila alone, their agency has rescued about 100 Badjao from Mindanao.
The secretary also assured that these Indigenous People (IP) will not only be sent back to their provinces, but that the government will also provide them with livelihood.
“Dati-rati kasi bibigyan lang sila ng pagkain, bibilhan ng ticket ng barko, at bibigyan ng barya-barya at saka pauuwiin,” said Tulfo, in a statement this Sunday.
He said, “you do not solve their problem. Ang problema, wala silang makain sa kanilang lugar dahil wala silang hanap buhay o pinagkakakitaan kaya pabalik-balik sila dito sa NCR o malalaking lungsod para magpalimos.”
Tulfo added that each IP family that will be rescued by the DSWD, will be given P10,000 each, which they can use to start a business when they return home.
Apart from the said capital, each family will also be given food packs, family and hygiene kits.
“Ito ang isa sa mga pinatututukan ng Pangulong BBM na bigyan ng pangkabuhayan ang mga IPs para hindi na nagpapalimos pa sa kalsada,” according to the secretary.
Tulfo also assured that the DSWD will help the Badjao and Aeta people, not only this Christmas, but throughout the year, so that they will not return to the streets to beg for alms.
Meanwhile, according to DSWD Standard Bureau Undersecretary Denise Bragas, who supervises the rescue operations of the IPs in the streets, after rescuing the IPs, they will also conduct rescue operations on street children.
“In coordination po with the LGU, mga bata na palaboy ang isusunod naman na ng DSWD,” according to Bragas. “Ang utos po sa amin ni Sec. Tulfo, kapag tatlong beses ng nare-rescue ang bata sa lansangan, hindi na po namin isosoli sa magulang nila bagkus gobyerno na po ang magpalaki at magpapa-aral sa kanila”.
