Council pushes for body to harmonize anti-mendicancy, buskers ordinances

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Council is pressing for the creation of a special task force that will reconcile the Anti-Mendicancy Ordinance and the Buskers Ordinance, ensuring enforcement balances discipline with compassion.

The move comes after a public uproar over the separate apprehension of a “human statue” performer and an elderly harmonica player along Colon Street.

Councilor Jose Lorenzo Abellanosa authored a resolution, which was approved by the City Council last week, requesting the executive department to convene a multi-agency task force composed of the Office of the City Mayor, Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS), Cebu City Legal Office, Cebu City Police Office (CCPO), Cebu City Tourism Office, and the Association of Barangay Captains.

The body will be tasked with harmonizing City Ordinance No. 1631, the Anti-Mendicancy Ordinance, and City Ordinance No. 2776, the Buskers Ordinance.

City Ordinance No. 1631, passed in 1996, prohibits giving to and soliciting by mendicants in public places, buildings, and commercial establishments. It was designed to discourage begging and maintain public order.

Meanwhile, City Ordinance No. 2776 encourages street performances to enrich Cebu’s culture, provide recreation, and boost tourism. It sets clear guidelines for buskers, including compliance with the Anti-Mendicancy Law, to distinguish busking from begging.

Officials earlier said the overlap between the two ordinances has created enforcement challenges, as buskers often rely on voluntary donations that resemble mendicancy, leading to disputes over implementation.

Before Abellanosa’s resolution was passed, joint committee meetings were held to review the arrest of 68-year-old harmonica player Ireneo Selma Vidal.

The committees on Senior Citizens Affairs, Public Order, and Social Services met in May to examine enforcement lapses and the need to reconcile the ordinances.

Councilor Pastor Alcover Jr., chair of the Senior Citizens Committee, described Vidal’s arrest as “deeply disturbing” and emphasized that senior citizens found begging should be referred to DSWS, not detained.

Councilor Phillip Zafra added that enforcement must carefully weigh the distinction between buskers and mendicants, while Councilor Francis Esparis scheduled a meeting with Cebu City Anti-Mendicancy Office (CCAMO), the Anti-Mendicancy Board, police, and barangay officials to review procedures.

Last week, Mayor Nestor Archival launched the city’s Busking Program, which designated areas such as Plaza Sugbo, Fuente Osmeña Circle, Plaza Independencia, Senior Citizens’ Park, and Freedom Park as official busking zones.

Archival said the program was meant to support performers rather than punish them, stressing that the City Attorney’s Office is reviewing ordinances to clarify whether busking falls under the definition of begging.

Abellanosa emphasized that enforcement should not extinguish the passion of artists who bring “color and joy” to Cebu despite limited resources. — (FREEMAN)