Off to the streets I go to look for some street scenes to photograph. Along Libertad-Hernaez Avenue I saw a bunch of kids chasing the red light. Knocking on the windows of the vehicles and extending those palms wide open for spare change. Beggars in Bacolod City – not unlike those who sit on pathways or outside the San Sebastian Cathedral these kids belong to what they call the “badyaws”.
Then I observed while taking out my camera for my shot. I saw a young boy who has tin cans with plastic covers to serve as drums – he strikes on the cans while creating his beat. Some drivers were amused while others are not. Some quickly draw coins out of their pockets while car drivers close their windows even if the aircondition is off just to get rid of these kids.
While taking snaps on the kids on the streets – I thought “Coins will get them food after the day”, but surely you will find them again here tomorrow. How do they differ from those who carry envelopes and request donations in a supplicating manner? Could that be considered as begging?
I also noticed that they do not want their photos taken as authorities may get rid of them. Just in time for my last shot - I recall the article I read about the plans of Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal to put up a half way house for these beggars so they could come in and eat, sleep and take a bath before they hit the streets again.
Well, it further confused me – “if beggars go out on the street clean, will people get to notice that they are indeed beggars?”
3 comments:
It's a pity that these children have not learned the value of sharing, instead they were raised to believe that it's always the survival that matters. I hope their parents take the unusual turn to think of what's best for their children.
Owen and I were just talking about blogging while at Starbucks L. Blogging is quite liberating compared to just plain Facebooking. Liberating because this was discussed while having coffee in Libertad :)
keep on blogging owen :))
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