27-5-2023 (Manila) A viral photo of a young boy begging on the streets of the Philippine capital, Manila, using a QR code has sparked widespread concern and prompted a warning from a government body about the potential involvement of syndicates exploiting street children for scams.
The incident unfolded when a passerby encountered the boy and informed him that they had no coins to give. In an unexpected turn, the beggar swiftly presented a QR code. “At first, we laughed, so we decided to check if the QR code was legitimate, and to our surprise, it was real, registered under the name Beverly,” the netizen recounted in a Facebook post.
The National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) issued a public warning on Friday, cautioning citizens about the involvement of criminal syndicates in such activities. NAPC Vice Chairperson Reynaldo Tamayo appeared on local television to shed light on the matter. “There are syndicates orchestrating these activities. They transport these beggars in vans, deploy them on the streets, and retrieve them at night,” he revealed.
Tamayo further explained that if proven guilty, parents of street-begging children could face a fine and a maximum of two years’ imprisonment. This stern measure aims to discourage the exploitation of vulnerable children for monetary gain.
According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, approximately 18.1 percent of the country’s nearly 110 million population live below the poverty line. Begging becomes particularly visible during the Christmas season, with beggars approaching cars and knocking on windows in hopes of receiving spare change.
