MANILA. Philippines - The government on Friday admitted
rounding up dozens of destitute people from the streets of Metro Manila
and temporarily billeting them to a resort south of the capital.
In radio interviews, Social
Welfare Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman(photo) said her department gathered
poor and homeless people — including entire families — and took them to a
resort in Batangas to take them off the streets, document them and
provide them with assistance they would require so that they can live
productively.
She denied the activity was
undertaken to shield the presence of a number of homeless people from
the eyes of Pope Francis;who is known for his sympathy towards the
poor during the Pontiff’s January 15-19 visit to the country.
“The local government units
took families so they would be registered under the government’s
conditional cash transfer programme, be provided with orientation, so
that they and their children be given the 
opportunity to study under the
alternative learning system programme,” she said.
opportunity to study under the
alternative learning system programme,” she said.
Soliman was reacting to
reports that ten busloads of homeless people were taken to the Chateau
Royale Resort in Nasugbu, Batangas on January 14, a day before the
Pope’s arrival in the Philippines.
According to a report by radio station dzMM,
the social welfare department booked 70 rooms for poor and homeless
families living in the cities of Pasay, Manila and Parañaque. They had
stayed there for five days.
Incidentally, these same suburbs are areas where Pope Francis passed during his visit.
Source: The Guardian...More...
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