z

STREET FAMILIES OR THE HOMELESS

z Homeless
(a person) who does not
have a home and thus live
on the streets.

Being homeless means not

having a fixed, routine, and
proper place to live in.
z
Homelessness

 Homelessness is officially identified by the United

States government as when and individual “lacks a
fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence,
and if they sleep in a shelter designated for
temporary living quarters or in places not
designated for human habitation,” according to the
Oxford Encyclopedia of Social Work.
z

Examples of Homelessness
 Primary Homelessness- living in the streets

 Secondary Homelessness- traveling between

temporary shelters
 Tertiary Homelessness- living in private boarding
houses without a private bathroom or protection of
tenure
 z
• Homeless Children
are among the most vulnerable
of the homeless in the
Philippines. There are
approximately 250,000
homeless children; however,
that number could be as high
as 1 million.
• Children who live on the street are
often viewed as criminals or future
criminals. Additionally, to numb
their pain and hunger, some
children may turn to drugs.
 z
Causes of Homelesness

 Poverty – many Filipino families, especially those in

Manila, find it difficult to pay their rent due to low income.
 Domestic violence – domestic abuse, exploitation, and
trafficking are all threats to women and children in the
Philippines.
 Natural disaster – such as typhoons, earthquakes, and
volcanic eruptions have also caused some families to lose
their homes.
 Types of Homeless Families
z According to the Modified Conditional Cash Transfer for Homeless Street
Families (MCCT-HSF) program, homeless families fit into four different
categories:

 Families on the Street : They are families who earn their

livelihood on the street, but eventually return to their
original communities.

 Street Families: are families who live on the street for a

long time and have created communities among
themselves. They perform daily activities, like cooking,
bathing or playing in the public spaces they live in. They
are visible by their use of a “kariton,” also known as a
pushcart that contains their family’s belongings, which
they move around within Manila.
 z

 Displaced Homeless Families: are families who have

lost their homes due to natural disasters or live in their
communities. They are families who leave their rural
communities of the Philippines to find a job in the cities.
 Community-based street families: are families who are
from rural communities, but move to urban areas for a
better way of life; however, they often end up returning
to the rural area they are from.
z
THE STATE OF HOMELESSNESS IN THE
PHILIPPINES
 The Philippines is one of the fastest-growing economies in
Southeast Asia, yet it is facing a homeless crisis. There are
approximately 4.5 million homeless people, including
children, in the Philippines, which has a population of 106
million people. 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 (NGOs) are working to
address this issue.
z
HOMELESSNESS DURING THE COVID-19
PANDEMIC

 The pandemic has revealed the link between

housing and public health in homeless shelters.
 For the first time ever, many cities have
temporarily housed people experiencing
homelessness in hotels in order to curb the spread
of COVID-19.
z
LAWS PROTECTING THEIR RIGHTS

 Republic Act No. 3469

An act authorizing the construction of multi-storey

tenement building projects for the poor and homeless
and appropriating funds therefor.
z

 There is also Republic Act No. 7610, also known as

the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse,
Exploitation and Discrimination Act, which includes
living on streets among circumstances which
“gravely threaten or endanger the survival and
normal development of children.” RA 7610 also
consider it criminals to “use, fierce, force or
intimidate a street child or any other child” to beg,
among other illegal acts.
z
DSWD PROGRAMS
• Department of Social and
Welfare Development
(DSWD) implemented a
program called Sagip
Kalinga (To save and to
care). This program was
launched to prevent the rise
of street dwellers and
protect street children from
the difficulties of living on
the street.
z The government, NGOs and religious institutions are working
help the homeless. Government programs include the Modified
Conditional Cash Transfer for Homeless Street Families
program (MCCT-HSF). This program provides financial
support, such as housing grants and funding for health and
education, to homeless families in Metro Manila.
To help street children, ASMAE-Philippines travels the streets
of Manila to teach kids on the basics of hygiene. The
organization also provides children with school support, as well
as supporting other NGOs in the area.
Kanlungan sa ER-MA Ministry, Inc. is another organization that
works to educate street children, though projects that teach
children about hard work while providing them with an income.