‘Build Build Build’ should be for tambays too — prelate

MANILA, Philippines — “Build Build Build” should not only refer to the infrastructure program of the Duterte administration, but should also be applied to the predicament of tambays, Balanga, Bataan Bishop Ruperto Santos said yesterday.

Santos issued in his diocese a pastoral reflection on “The Tambays in Our Midst” where he mentioned that the “Build Build Build” program of the government could be used to deal with the tambays (loiterers) or those who have been arrested on the street for violating city ordinances.

Santos, a member of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) Permanent Council, said that the tambay is a social problem and that there are three reasons why there are people who still loiter in the streets: lack of education, lack of jobs and lack of housing.

“Rounding up the tambay will not solve the problem. There will be tambays who will replace them in the streets who are uneducated, jobless and homeless or who live in extremely congested dwellings. In the meantime, our jails will be filled to the rafters,” Santos said.

The prelate added that the government should instead “embark on a ‘Build Build Build’ program when it comes to tambay. Build knowledge and character (education), build skills (for jobs), build houses.”

He pointed out that these are basic responsibilities of the state.

“Unless (the government) embarks on these programs intensively, then the tambay tribe will steadily increase. We cannot move on to progress in economics and infrastructure if we just hide or detain the tambay. Making the tambay a productive member of society may take a long time versus the quick fix of rounding them up and putting them in jail. But it is the long-term solution and one that can bring about true progress,” Santos said.

He also mentioned that the Catholic Church could take on the challenge and help make the lives of loiterers more productive.

Parish officials in the Bataan Diocese can invite the loiterers and encourage them to participate in activities that can help in their spiritual lives while other parishes can offer livelihood programs, according to Santos. Catholic schools, he said, can provide adult education and skills training.

The Church can also embark on special catechism classes for those who wish to be nourished spiritually, Santos said.