• THERESA MAE DULMAN
The Bacolod City government is looking for a permanent solution to manage the displaced plaza dwellers after recent strict enforcement only caused them to relocate to adjacent streets.
City administrator, Atty. Mark Steven Mayo, said that while enforcement efforts at the Bacolod plaza yielded a positive result, sustainability remains a challenge as dwellers simply moved across San Juan Street.
“It is a recurring issue, and we are aware of that. We are exploring other options, but for now, we are still studying the most effective way to provide a permanent solution,” he added.
The city government issued a memorandum June 17, directing key local offices to strictly enforce peace, order, and public decorum at the plaza.
The directive explicitly prohibits loitering, dwelling, smoking, and appearing without appropriate upper-body clothing within the plaza premises, while the Department of Social Services and Development has been ordered to intensify operations against mendicancy.
Mayo said the city’s primary challenge lies in the presence of street dwellers, who repeatedly return to the plaza even after being reprimanded, temporarily housed, and released to their families.
He noted that some dwellers from other areas still returned to the plaza even after they were sent back to their home localities.
There are about 200 barkers and 50 dwellers, including children, based on initial data from the city.
Mayo said they are profiling the ‘barkers’ around the plaza, with the goal of providing them with sustainable livelihood assistance.
He added that specific details are still under discussion, as the city aims to fully complete the organizational phase before implementing the program. | TMD
