On LGU’s programs for the homeless: different needs require different solutions
by Caryl Sumulong and Juleana Sarmiento | June 1, 2024
Walking along the streets of Baguio, there is a good chance that you will come across a few individuals sleeping on the pavements of the city. Without the availability of long-term solutions, the majority of “homeless” people resort to settling in the streets of Baguio.
According to City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) Social Welfare Officer II Racquel Madlon on May 23, store owners frequently file complaints regarding the homeless inhabiting areas around their businesses.
The local government, in partnership with CSWDO, had previously provided a warming center at the Baguio Convention Cultural Center allowing the homeless to occupy. This plan falls short as the provided facility was not under the city government’s property. To compensate, CSWDO initiates donation drives for clothing and medication.
Silungan Center was another project that the office facilitated wherein individuals could temporarily reside in, provided with “home life services”. By CSWDO’s definition, homeless people include those “psychotic vagrants” who are assessed through a medical intervention in Baguio General Hospital (BGH) to see whether they are fit in the Silungan Center. According to the city government website, the facility mostly houses individuals under cases of Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC), Children in Need of Special Protection (CNSP), Women in Especially Difficult Circumstances (WEDC), Victims of RA 9208 (Anti-Trafficking), Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), distressed, and senior citizens. Along with the countless individuals in need of shelters to temporarily stay in, it seems that the homeless are the least priority of the government.
Most of the programs offered by the local government are no more than short-term solutions. How long would it take for the government to realize that simply providing temporary facilities would not ultimately solve this on-going issue?
Rather than ineffective resolutions, the government should focus on implementing long-term solutions that could actually compensate and suffice the needs of the homeless.
In line with this, the local government unit should hold local programs that will hone the skills of individuals. Equipping individuals with skills can help them land a job that may sustain them in their necessities and everyday living. Moreover, it is not only important that skills be honed among individuals, they also need career opportunities that can harness these skills. The more skill programs and job opportunities the city offers, the more chances these individuals may attain stability. Thus, the more likely they may provide for themselves with basic needs including shelter.
Now more than ever, the alarming number of homeless people on the streets do not just reflect the lack of housing and settlements in the city. It also reflects the lack of resources that respond to the basic issues of health and safety. Although a temporary shelter like Silungan Center may be helpful, accommodating individuals of different cases — such as women and children who are victims of violence and persons with disabilities — all in one shelter, the differences in their needs might be overlooked and neglected. The city must strive for a healthcare system that can put forward the proper treatment and medical assistance for individuals with mental or psychiatric illnesses. Identifying the needs and conditions, as well as differences, of the homeless people and of individuals who need mental support must be taken into consideration before implementing policies that do not appropriately cater and respond to their needs.
Different issues require different solutions. In order for needs to be addressed, must we really need to raise complaints? Evidently, the city lacks basic facilities which must be given in the first place. Cases of homeless individuals roaming the streets need not to increase before it’s considered “alarming”. The government should prioritize and invest in studying the conditions of all individuals who are in need of assistance in order to provide them with the necessary support. As we progress towards technological advancements and modernizations in the city, we must also forward with us the call of people who need assistance, especially those who are disadvantaged in basic necessities of health and safety.
