Village chief builds rehab, shelter for vagrants

CEBU, Philippines — San Nicolas Proper, Cebu City Barangay Captain Clifford Jude Niñal took another initiative to help the homeless vagrants.

This time, building a rehabilitation and shelter for “taong grasa” on a vacant lot near the barangay’s multipurpose gym.

The construction started Friday. The budget for the construction was sourced from Niñal’s discretionary funds and personal money.

Niñal said some of the workers are volunteers who get food in exchange for their service.

The shelter will be operational next week.

“Maayo na lang makatabang ta aning mga taong grasa. Atong limpyuhan, saninaan, pakan-on, tabangan, basin pa diay og maulian,” Niñal told The Freeman.

Aside from giving them shelter, the barangay will provide medical and psychological intervention for them.

If they get sponsors and more material donations, Niñal said, they can expand the shelter for the homeless as well.

At the height of the pandemic last year, Niñal provided street dwellers temporary shelter at the barangay gym for months.

The street dwellers were then picked up and given shelter by the city government. But several months later, they have returned to the streets and some returned to San Nicolas Proper for food and shelter.

Niñal said it is hard to reject these poor people as they might get infected and possibly even spread the virus further. — KQD (FREEMAN)