The WORSENING COVID-10 infection makes me think about the demand from leftists for more cash assistance. I always find it stupid how leftists demand this and that like money is so easy to come by. This reminds me of the problem of mendicancy as how cash transfer programs (such as 4Ps) will inevitably cause MORE INFLATION than reduce it. It's because printing too much money will lower the value of money to the point it's USELESS like in Venezuela. Mendicancy is a very common problem in the Philippines. One such act that was passed in 1978 during the "Marcos Golden Years" (that's golden years for protectionism) was the Anti-Mendicancy Law. The same law was later carried over into the 1987 Constitution.
Giving alms to beggars may do more harm than good. People become overly reliant on alms to the point that they may no longer work. It's already a common scene to have people who are waiting for a shower of gold coins. Sometimes, one may argue that begging happens because people don't have any work or can't even find it. Yes, I agree that the poor should learn to work but how can the poor WORK if there's NO WORK AVAILABLE for them? Some poor people are so poor that they can't even afford to go to an OFW recruitment center. Others are simply there in the squatters' areas or are even homeless. Can the government even afford to give homes to ALL the homeless? Can the government even teach ALL the poor to learn to manage their alms right?
Whether we want to admit it or not but most beggars tend to use the money for nonsense. Give them some coins and they use them for street gambling. Give them some coins and they will most likely use it to buy rugby and cheap liquor. It's because gambling along with rugby and cheap liquor are forms of escapism from the harsh realities in the Philippines. The harsh reality that the poor in the Philippines face is that there are too many Filipinos and too few job providers. They want to escape this harsh reality and liquor, rugby, and gambling provide them some temporary form of happiness that will at least temporarily make them forget their problems. Some may have wanted to get out of poverty but can't even find a good-paying job. The vicious cycle goes that they want to get out of poverty, can't find a job, begs, uses alms for nonsense then the cycle starts all over again. It becomes very easy for them to be exploited by corrupt politicians and wealthy criminals as a result. Penalizing those who give to beggars is also very short-term of a solution.
True, penalizing me PHP 500.00 every time I give to a beggar will discourage me from doing so. However, others beg not because they're lazy but because they can't even find a job. Discouraging begging will eventually encourage them to get into crime. Some get into crime not because they're greedy but because they just want to feed their families. Some people steal money and food because their families are starving. It reminds me of how a bread thief doesn't steal jewels or any other valuables but only necessities. The penalty only discourages begging but doesn't address how to get beggars out of their status as beggars. It doesn't provide opportunities for beggars to stop begging. The penalty only works if there's plenty of work available for the poor. Unfortunately, there are hardly any jobs for the poor thanks to the Filipino First Policy by Carlos P. Garcia. Protectionism only blessed the oligarchy but not the Filipino people. It's because it restricted job opportunities and so many poor can't even afford a plane to fly abroad as an OFW.
What's even worse is that generations of misinformation have further made the people fight against constitutional reforms that could've benefited their sorry hides. More jobs could've been generated through foreign investment yet leftist groups keep spreading the same lies over and over again. The lies such as only foreign investors get rich if you let them invest here is said OVER AND OVER again. The lies that foreign invaders will invade the Philippines is another lie that's spread over and over again. Worse, the poor are easily exploited by such lies because they usually don't even know how to handle money. Many of them seek relief and it makes them easy paid targets for leftist organizations such as Bayad Muna, Akbayad, Migraine International, Anak-Patis, and Kayabangan Partylist. It would really be good if poor people had MORE opportunities to get legitimate jobs.
What would make the anti-mendicancy law more useful? It's only if there were more job opportunities for the poor. Foreign investments would mean that multinational corporations or MNCs will provide both employment for locals and more taxable income for the government. Homeless shelters can be built not just by the government but also by both local and foreign businesses. We need to get serious about opening up the economy. Otherwise, anti-mendicancy laws will just be useless because too many people end up having no choice BUT TO BEG.
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