No street caroling for kids — DSWD
By Sheila Crisostomo
The Philippine Star 10/26/2004



The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has announced an air-conditioned alternative to the daredevil spectacle of children running after cars near stoplights to sing their often dissonant rendition of "Ang Pasko ay Sumapit."

Soon you may get the chance to hear them serenade you inside your friendly neighborhood Megamall.

Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman said the DSWD is thinking of banning children from caroling on the streets of Metro Manila.

"It’s very dangerous for children to be on the road, much more when they chase cars. They may be hit by speeding vehicles so they are better off off the road," she said.

The DSWD expects many children to go street caroling as Christmas approaches, especially along major thoroughfares like EDSA and Roxas Boulevard.

Soliman said that while it may be a way to keep the Christmas spirit alive, the practice places the lives of the young carolers in danger.

"In the past, some of these children got sideswiped and even directly hit by speeding vehicles. We don’t want this to happen again this Christmas season," she said.

Nancy Roman, head of the Street Children Unit of the DSWD regional office in Metro Manila, said she had talked with the management of SM Malls on allowing street children to go caroling inside SM malls.

"We know that we could not prevent street caroling by children so we coordinated with the SM Foundation to enable the kids to go caroling inside its malls," she said.

Under the plan, the children will be allowed to go caroling in all SM branches for at least two hours. Local government units will identify "potential street carolers."

Roman said that aside from being hit by cars street carolers are also endangered by exposure to pollution.

She said that Republic Act 7620 or the "Special Protection of Children against Child Trafficking, Exploitation, Discrimination and Abuse Act" punishes parents of children involved in the practice, which is classified as begging.

The law provides for the parents to be reprimanded on the first offense, subjected to counseling on the second offense, and required to do community work on the third offense.

Roman said the DSWD also provides counseling for children who beg for alms on the streets.

its just not the same without street carolling.... they should like put some signs on the streets so at least that wud prevent accidents from happening or like tell the kids where they could and couldnt go to do caroling...

maybe if they teach kids how to properly conduct caroling like how in th eus kids are taught how to do trick or treating more safely.

for the streetchildren it is a way of earning their keep... it is one of the sorrier state of the Philippines, the presence of vagrants, and kids at that. ever heard of the phrase, "nakatira sa kariton?" most of these children are like that. No they are not "ordinary" kids who have homes to go to after carolling, they basically live on the streets.

Bata saan ka pupunta?
Pagkasapit ng dilim
Ikaw ba ay may uuwian
Ikaw ba ay may hapunan?

from a song by Grace Nono

street caroling is dangerous. and it's better if they are organized right?

here in my hometown you have to get a permit to do caroling at homes because the city government is afraid the ones caroling might be NPAs caroling to get money...

Dito rin sa Naga, at may hangganan na nga lang kung ilang grupo ang maaaring mangaroling eh. Kaya kailangan agahan ang paghihingi ng pirmiso kung gusto mong mangaroling. Nakakabanas na nga kung minsan kasi ang mga nagkakarol, dalawang tao lang. Mas gusto ko yong marami kahit sintunado!

AY NAKU, ANG MGA PUTANG INANG MGA KJ NA 'YON!!

sayang naman, maliit na kaligayahan para sa mga munting kabataan....

pero delikado nga rin....

Okay lang siguro na mangaroling sa bahay-bahay, wag lang sa kalsada na manghahabol ng sasakyan...

ang mga problema lang naman dito yung mga dati nang street children...

pero yung mga bata sa bahay-bahay... dun lang yun umiikot sa lugar nila...

Agree ako dyan mare! You can see street children roaming around the traffic road, singing christmas carols, kakatok sa iyong car asking for money. Nakakatakot kasi maaksidente sila.

But children who are singing christmas carols around the neighborhood, i think its ok! KJ naman naman ng mga taga DSWD! Hmp!

Di naman, kasi yong street carolers lang ang ipinagbabawal nila... sa neighborhood yata wala na silang say ano! nagbabalak pa naman kami ng mga friends ko na mangaroling...