Manila street kids spotted begging using QR Code

Street children in Sampaloc, Manila went viral after they seen were asking for money using a QR code.

Their photo went viral on social media after the children showed the QR codes, according to Mark Salazar’s “24 Oras” report on Friday.

“Nagsabi kami na wala kaming barya tapos biglang naglabas ng ganun ng QR code kaya natawa muna kami, chineck namin kung totoo yung QR. Nakalagay ‘Beverly,’” netizen Angelo Gabriel Fuentebella said.

(We said we didn't have any coins and then suddenly they showed a QR code, so we laughed at first, but we checked if the QR was real. It was named after “Beverly.”)

“Laging akong naaawa kaya nagbibigay. Hindi ko na naiisip na hindi pala sa kanila mapupunta ganun. Minsan naman pagkain binibigay ko kung meron ako,” he added.

(I always feel sorry for them. I can't imagine if the money will be given to them. Sometimes I give food if I have one.)

However, the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) warned that these may be part of schemes or syndicates.

“Merong mga sindikato na nasa likod ng mga ganito merong mga instances noon na hinahatid ito ng van sa umaga pinipick up sa gabi,” NAPC vice chairperson Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. said.

(There are syndicates that are behind these things, there were instances in the past where a van bring them to a place in the morning and picked them up in the evening.)

There is a fine of P500 and imprisonment of not more than two years for the parents of the children asking for money.

“Kami na nasa government sector ang gusto namin mangyari ay yung ma-consolidate natin lahat ng programa ng gobyerno para matignan at matutukan yung mga problema na ganito,” Tamayo said.

(We in the government sector want to consolidate all government programs and focus on problems like this.)

Last 2021, the poverty rate in the country stood at 18.1% or one out of five Filipinos was poor.

Meanwhile, 4.4 million households were beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) as of 2022.

However, not all poor households became part of the program because of the insufficient community monitoring system.

“May mga local government units pa na hindi pa naiimplement ito, but right after na maimplement ito masisiguro natin na ang lahat ng data ay makukuha at magiging more accurate na ang data ng mga tinatarget nating nasa below poverty line,” Tamayo said.

(There are still local government units that have not yet implemented this, but right after it is implemented we will be able to ensure that all the data will be available and the data will be more accurate for those we are targeting below the poverty line.)—Richa Noriega, LDF, GMA Integrated News