Baguio eyes new program to address street begging
BAGUIO CITY — The City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) plans to adopt the Baguio Community Reintegration and Empowerment Support (Baguio CARES) framework as a primary intervention under the city's anti-mendicancy program.
CSWDO head Liza Bulayungan presented the CARES framework, which outlines a strategic approach to addressing the growing number of street dwellers and vagrants in the city.
The plan covers problem identification, strategic solutions, project risks, monitoring and evaluation, and sustainability measures.
Key components include public education, collaboration among local governments, data privacy, the creation of a digital tracking platform, the reconstitution of the anti-mendicancy task force, and livelihood, referral and community-based support systems.
During the presentation, social worker and focal person Racquel Madlon shared city data showing 231 individuals recorded under the program from January 2022 to September 2026, comprising 231 males and 90 females.
The records include 99 mendicants, 57 vagrants, 38 mendicants with disabilities, 30 vagrants with psychiatric conditions and seven children in street situations.
Annual records show 83 individuals in 2022, 29 in 2023, 24 in 2024, 34 in 2025 and 53 in 2026.
Of the recorded individuals, 126 are Baguio residents, 92 are nonresidents and 13 declined to provide their addresses.
According to Madlon, existing services for validated individuals include transportation assistance, temporary shelter, medical and psychosocial care, and legal orientation.
Transportation assistance helps participants return to their home provinces through the Balik-Probinsya program in coordination with transport groups. Beneficiaries also receive food assistance and referrals to the Department of Social Welfare and Development's (DSWD) Pag-abot program.
Temporary lodging, basic care and other essential services are provided at the Silungan Center and the Regional Processing Center in Wangal, La Trinidad, Benguet.
Rescue operations, temporary placement and family reintegration efforts are also coordinated with the DSWD Pag-abot initiative.
Medical and psychosocial services include psychiatric referrals and treatment at Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center and the City Health Services Office.
Clinical assessments, diagnostic tests such as X-rays and electrocardiograms (ECGs), counseling and psychological first aid are conducted at medical facilities and psychiatric units.
Legal orientation involves educating clients about anti-mendicancy laws and city ordinances prohibiting street begging and loitering.
Clients also receive relief goods, food packs, hygiene kits and blankets, along with referrals to government agencies and local government units.