Homeless people
>> Tuesday, November 8, 2022
EDITORIAL
Homeless
people exist. In other parts of the world, in either developed or developing
countries, homelessness is a social problem, according to the United Nations.
The UN has described homelessness as a serious violation of human dignity and a global problem, affecting people of all ages from all walks of life. In 2020, it reported some 1.6 billion people around the world live in inadequate housing conditions, with about 15 million forcefully evicted every year.
Homelessness, the international body said, violates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights’ Article 1, a portion of which states “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” It also violated Article 22, which says: “Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.”
There are “approximately 4.5 million homeless people, including children, in the Philippines, which has a population of 106 million people,” according to the Borgen Project, a US-based nonprofit organization that tackles global poverty and hunger.
“Homelessness in the Philippines is caused by a variety of reasons, including lost jobs, insufficient income or lack of a stable job, domestic violence and loss of home due to a natural disaster. The government and non-governmental organizations are working to address this issue,” read a portion of the Borgen Project’s report.
Baguio City and the neighboring capital town of La Trinidad, Benguet has its homeless people mostly, those with mental problems. Although minimal, they roam the streets, shelter in sidewalks, overpasses and sleep on pavements and decrepit buildings.
Homelessness is one issue local governments of Baguio, La Trinidad or other LGUs of Northern Luzon could look deeper into.
Singapore, a model city, reportedly has homeless people despite its economic stature. There were about 921 to 1,050 homeless residents in 2019, according to the National University of Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy study.
The Singaporean government is helping its homeless residents, and one of its ways of helping is by funding shelters and interim rental housing for homeless people to stay before they purchase their own flats from the state agency Housing and Development Board, propertyguru.com.sg reported last year.
In moving towards progress, studies say, local governments must also make sure that voiceless and roofless residents who live on a day-to-day basis—most of whom survive on their own by scouring garbage bins and begging for food or money —are not neglected.
The UN has described homelessness as a serious violation of human dignity and a global problem, affecting people of all ages from all walks of life. In 2020, it reported some 1.6 billion people around the world live in inadequate housing conditions, with about 15 million forcefully evicted every year.
Homelessness, the international body said, violates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights’ Article 1, a portion of which states “all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.” It also violated Article 22, which says: “Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.”
There are “approximately 4.5 million homeless people, including children, in the Philippines, which has a population of 106 million people,” according to the Borgen Project, a US-based nonprofit organization that tackles global poverty and hunger.
“Homelessness in the Philippines is caused by a variety of reasons, including lost jobs, insufficient income or lack of a stable job, domestic violence and loss of home due to a natural disaster. The government and non-governmental organizations are working to address this issue,” read a portion of the Borgen Project’s report.
Baguio City and the neighboring capital town of La Trinidad, Benguet has its homeless people mostly, those with mental problems. Although minimal, they roam the streets, shelter in sidewalks, overpasses and sleep on pavements and decrepit buildings.
Homelessness is one issue local governments of Baguio, La Trinidad or other LGUs of Northern Luzon could look deeper into.
Singapore, a model city, reportedly has homeless people despite its economic stature. There were about 921 to 1,050 homeless residents in 2019, according to the National University of Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy study.
The Singaporean government is helping its homeless residents, and one of its ways of helping is by funding shelters and interim rental housing for homeless people to stay before they purchase their own flats from the state agency Housing and Development Board, propertyguru.com.sg reported last year.
In moving towards progress, studies say, local governments must also make sure that voiceless and roofless residents who live on a day-to-day basis—most of whom survive on their own by scouring garbage bins and begging for food or money —are not neglected.
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