Kids in School Uniform Begging on Manila Streets, a New Modus of Beggars?
NEW MODUS – The increasing number of kids wearing school uniforms have been seen begging in the streets of Manila.
Recently, a lot of children wearing school uniforms were spotted begging across Manila streets. A concerned shared his experience online after encountering several of these children, describing it as a new way of asking for sympathy from passersby.
Throughout the day, the driver said he was approached multiple times by children dressed like students, knocking on his car window and asking for spare change. The kids were looking like actual students for wearing uniforms, backpacks, and untidy shirts.
“Magmula kaninang umaga, apat na beses nangyari na may estudyanteng kumatok sa bintana ko at nanghihingi ng barya. Dito sa pang-apat nakita ko yang tatlong bata with matching backpacks at napakadumi ng mga polo,” the uploader said.
According to netizens reacting to the post, this may be part of a rising trend following a viral story of a “sampaguita girl,” a child in a school uniform selling flowers inside a shopping mall.
Some believe that this style of begging is becoming more common, possibly driven by groups taking advantage of children’s innocent looks to gain sympathy and money.
Others expressed sadness over the possibility that these children might be controlled by syndicates, forced to beg as part of a larger operation.
Many netizens pointed to how such tactics have been around for years, only changing styles from time to time, like babies used in the past to draw pity, now replaced by uniforms for the same effect.
Here is the full post:
“Dati lagi ako naaawa kapag nakakakita ako ng mga nanlilimos na estudyante pero ngayon napapansin ko parang modus nalang pala.
Napansin ko nagsimula silang dumami magmula nung sumikat yung sampaguita girl na naka school uniform na pinalayas ng guwardya.
Magmula kaninang umaga, apat na beses nangyari na may estudyanteng kumatok sa bintana ko at nanghihingi ng barya. Dito sa pang-apat nakita ko yang tatlong bata with matching backpacks at napakadumi ng mga polo. Nung una inisip ko lang kaya siguro madumi mga polo nila kase mga bata nga at syempre masyadong malikot pero late ko narealize umaga palang ang dumi na agad ng polo? Bakit naman sila nasa kalsada eh oras dapat ng pasok lalo na weekday ngayon? Napaka impossible namang papasok palang sila sa school kung afternoon sched man sila kase madumi na talaga ng mga polo nila.
Nag init ulo ko at first kase panloloko na yang ginagawa nila pero nung makalagpas ako, lalo lang ako naawa. Pinagkait na nga yung pagiging bata sa kanila, ginamit pa ng mga demonyo para pagkaperahan.”
The social media users expressed their reactions to the post:
