ANGELES CITY — Some 136 homeless individuals were rescued by the city government on December 23, as Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr. underscored that “no displaced families, kids, and even mentally-challenged individuals will spend their holiday season in the streets of Angeles City.”
The 136 are composed of 93 individuals from displaced families, 12 street kids, 16 homeless badjaos, and 15 mentally-challenged individuals.
Mayor Lazatin’s Chief Adviser and Tactician Director IC Calaguas, together with Executive Assistant IV Reina Manuel, who led the inter-office rescue operations, shared that all those rescued throughout the city were given food assistance by the city government. They were also taken to their homes, regardless where they reside — such as Tarlac City, Guagua and Porac towns.
The street kids, Calaguas said, were housed at the Bahay Pag-Asa, the facility of the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) for displaced kids.
Further, all 15 rescued mentally-challenged individuals received free swab tests from the city government at the Rafael Lazatin Memorial Medical Center (RLMMC).
Upon negative results for COVID-19, they will be transferred to the Metro Psych Facility in Pasig City, where Mayor Lazatin had a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for further treatment of rescued individuals with mental health problems.
Mayor Lazatin has allotted P7 million for this program, under the Gender and Development (GAD) fund.
The conducted rescue operation was joined by members of CSWDO led by Edna Duaso; GAD headed by Mina Cabiles; Angeles City Tourism Auxiliary (ACTA) led by Michael Lising; Angeles City Economic Development Investment Promotions Office (ACEDIPO) headed by Irish Bonus-Llego; Angeles City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (ACDRRMO) led by Rudy Simeon; and City Information Office (CIO).
The rescue operation is the largest so far, wherein 180 personnel were deployed throughout the city.
After being given food assistance, some of the 136 homeless individuals rescued by the city government on December 23, 2020 were already taken to their homes, regardless of where they reside – such as Tarlac City, Guagua and Porac towns.