# Beggars and Opportunists.



## bigpearl (Jan 24, 2016)

A member recently raised the issue of door knockers looking for hand outs, it has got me thinking, perhaps I too will be up for the same when we finally settle. Bengie assures me that the carollers and bad singers go away after a week of intense lobbying for a few Pesos and if it worries me simply don't answer the door, turn the music or TV volume up. Wise words I suppose.
I have certainly experienced beggars while living in Manila especially around the train stations and yes have offered my coins to them from time to time but little else. Not seen that situation yet where we intend to live,,,,,, so far.
Opportunists are in all countries and yes I have had a few offers over the years both in OZ and PH. Sorry I have other commitments seems to work again, so far.
What are other members experiences and how were they handled? 

Cheers, Steve.


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## expatuk2016 (Mar 20, 2016)

We have beggars around Los Banos who i feel sorry for but the boss wiil not let me give them anything.
Went to mcds last week in the outside eating area and there were children begging everywhere.
As we drove home i saw a woman who was controlling the taking money off of them and pointing to them where to go next ! I do however give an old lady who sits on a chair where we call the crossing the odd 20pesos.


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## Maxx62 (Dec 31, 2013)

Last month my wife and I were in the down town area of Cebu, when I decided to leave the mall we were visiting to go across the street to buy some bootleg DVDs (it's impossible to find legit DVDs in our area). As I was waiting to cross the street a crazy looking woman carrying a baby came up to me and started saying "1,000 pesos!" over and over. 

The woman was covered in dust as if she'd been laying along the side of the road, and her hair was matted and she smelled very badly. I took one look at the baby she was carrying and instantly realized that the baby had passed away sometime within the past few hours. She was carrying a baby boy about a year and a half old, he had a bluish tinge to his skin, and his arms and legs did not move as the mother walked, and his mouth was pulled downward in a sort of empty frown. 

I was a little bit in shock, and I told the mother, "I think that your baby has already passed away", but she just kept repeating "1,000 pesos" over and over. I didn't happen to have 1,000 pesos on me at the moment, and even if I did I would have been hesitant to take my wallet out while standing in the busy street. Then the women did something that was even more shocking, she suddenly pulled down the collar of her shirt completely exposing one of her breasts to me. 

I didn't know what to do, I was a little bit in shock, so I started walking back towards the entrance of the mall as the woman with the baby kept following me repeating one thousand pesos over and over. Finally when we got to the entrance of the mall she could not follow me anymore. I looked back to see her standing on the other side of the glass looking at me, but then I quickly turned away. I thought about going to the ATM to get 1,000 pesos, but then I thought it would be better if I went to the police assistance desk inside the mall. Of course the police officer was not at his desk, and it took a few minutes for him to be located.

Eventually some college age kid in a police uniform approaches me and introduces himself to me. I told him what I observed outside, but at first he did not understand and he said "Oh there is plenty of street children outside begging for money, no problem." - I said "Patay na bata!" and then he understood. We went outside, and I showed him the area where I had seen the crazy woman carrying the dead baby, but she was gone. 

Well, it took me a few days to get over this particular incident, and I felt bad for just walking away from this distressed women without giving her any help. I don't know what had happened, I can only guess that her baby had been sick for sometime, and that she had been unable to scrap the money together to take it to a doctor. I assume that the baby must have died the night before (there was a flu in our area at the time) and this poor woman must have had some sort of nervous breakdown, and didn't realize that she was carrying a dead baby around. 

There are a lot of very poor people over here, but the problem is separating them from the people who just want a thousand pesos so they can buy Tanduay or shabu. We generally never give money to strangers at our gate, (maybe once or twice in four or five years) so all of our neighbors understand that we are not rich, and that we are not money trees. There is no easy answer in dealing with the topic of beggars, only that some of them are truly in legitimate need.


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## Tukaram (Dec 18, 2014)

Not sure where you are planning on settling down. The worst beggars I have seen were the gangs of street kids in Cebu. When my wife and I went for a visit she was scared of them. She had never seen so many, and so forceful, beggars.

Here in Iloilo we have a few but most are elderly and beg quietly. Mostly just sit on the sidewalk with a cup in their hand. On Monday (market day) we get some Bajaos and they are a bit pushy, but not too bad.


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## JRB__NW (Apr 8, 2015)

Your story is so sad Maxx, that really hit me and I understand how difficult that must have been for you. There are so many with legitimate need here, and there is simply no safety net.


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## MikenKeira (Jul 3, 2017)

I read once that in the states and now in the UK people buy an extra coffee (at starbucks or similar). its called something like ' pay it forward'. Its used for people who live on the streets and is at least a little something to warm up with when they come into the establishment.

Now that I live in Angeles we often go into Clark and have something to eat with the family and there are many beggars trying to get a few pesos plus they often are selling mangoes or bananas. We always order too much food (like us all) and take it away for later on, but when in Clark we tend to give this to the people waiting outside when we leave.

Doing this is a way of 'paying forward' and at least its not so easy to turn already cooked food into cash for other non essential stuff like drugs. We generally see the kids eating this as we leave and whilst its not a great deal you can go away and think they have at least had something to eat today.

Its a thought and one way to help without wondering where the money you give is going too.

Cheers


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## bigpearl (Jan 24, 2016)

MikenKeira said:


> I read once that in the states and now in the UK people buy an extra coffee (at starbucks or similar). its called something like ' pay it forward'. Its used for people who live on the streets and is at least a little something to warm up with when they come into the establishment.
> 
> Now that I live in Angeles we often go into Clark and have something to eat with the family and there are many beggars trying to get a few pesos plus they often are selling mangoes or bananas. We always order too much food (like us all) and take it away for later on, but when in Clark we tend to give this to the people waiting outside when we leave.
> 
> ...


Thanks for your post Miken, a great way to distribute excesses. In Oz on film sets we would donate excess foods to the homeless shelters, some 12 or 15 years ago then apparently with O.H.and S laws it was banned, good food gone to the dump, a waste. No different in any western countryI am sure. Nothing in PH. gets wasted, paying forward or contributing to less fortunate family members is normal and not to be scoffed at, the receivers reciprocate many fold. A simple gesture is well appreciated and then some. Though we experience this when visiting is always at arms length and contribute we do but do walk away returning to our country. How to control this once we live permanently in PH. will be another issue as others have experienced. Where does one stop? Voluntary works with NGO's? Focus on simply ones family? Naught to others? A dilemma for those living in PH. and those that follow.
Thanks for your input and today I and am sure others have learnt something from your simple gesture.

Cheers, Steve.


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## Maxx62 (Dec 31, 2013)

JRB__NW said:


> Your story is so sad Maxx, that really hit me and I understand how difficult that must have been for you. There are so many with legitimate need here, and there is simply no safety net.


Yeah, it took me a few days to get over that. I really wish that I could have done something to help her, but usually I try not to carry too much cash when I'm walking around outside SM Cebu, and at that particular moment I didn't happen to have 1,000 Pesos on me. I guess that even if I had gone to the ATM and gotten money, she would have been gone anyway. 

This woman looked like a helper, or someone from out in the provinces. I don't think she was a drug addict or a prostitute. I think that she was someone who was a little bit illiterate, and she was just completely overwhelmed by her child. She was completely desperate, and the thing that got me the most is when she took out her breast in public and showed it to me. I guess that she was trying to offer me sex in exchange for cash, but like I said, if I'd had the money on me, I would have given it to her somehow. 

Well, since she was gone when I went back outside with the police, I'm guessing that she found another foreigner who was able to help her. (I hope) there is a couple of big hotels and a huge shopping mall right there, so maybe she found someone else, and that explains why she was gone when I was looking for her with the police officer.


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## mogo51 (Jun 11, 2011)

This is a very sad story and I am sure it was very stressful for you. It is a difficult problem in such situations..


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