BEGGING 101 NI CHUVANESS

I take it back.

Chuvaness isn't as nice as I thought she was. I'm so shocked with her.

This is something I have to take issue with, and sorry Chuvaness, I have to tell you off with this one.

In her recent post called Begging 101, (which she has taken down by the way) she talks about tips on effective begging, like the beggars actually read blogs. Duh.

The following is her actual post.

Let's break it down:

1) If I give one of you, do not call the rest of the neighborhood and come running to my car, because it will freak me out and I do not have enough money to give all of you. I am not Santa Claus. The scariest thing. One Christmas I was giving away free T-shirts from my dead stock and the kids ran and rocked the van from side to side. I really thought I would die.

Don't you even get it why they act this way? Dahil wala silang makain, at minsan lang mangyari sa kanila yun. They want to share it with the rest because they're all in the same boat. Palibhasa, di mo pa naranasan maghirap, kaya ka ganyan. You have no idea what these people go through, that's why the slightest image of money and food will make them come running.

2) Please do not leave "memories" like handprints, lip prints, saliva on my window.

Kakaloka ka. You expect them to have etiquette and social graces? Bangag ka ate. Di nga nakapag-aral eh, may nalalaman ka pang mga ganyan.

3) Can someone please publish a standardized rate for sampaguita? I'm confused. Sometimes if I give ten pesos, I get one crumby garland. And sometimes if I give ten pesos I get a whole bunch. WTF?

Seryoso ka? I've never complained about what they're selling. I mean I kid about it with them, and they explain, but that's it. Mabuti nga na nagbebenta sila at hindi nagnanakaw. Kung madami kang reklamo, wag mo na lang kunin yung sampaguita, donate mo na lang.

4) Uhm, if you could say thank you, that would be nice.

Sa sobrang gutom at excited ng mga yan, nakakalimutan na nilang mag THANK YOU. Why don't you teach them then? That's what I do, especially the little ones. Before they run off, I say to them, "Uy bata, mag Thank You ka ha?" And they do, and I remind them na dapat ganun lagi. Eh di tapos. Naturuan mo pa sila ng mabuting asal.

5) If you start with a Chrismas carol, please finish the song and do not run away as soon as I give you something.

Eh di patapusin mo muna sa kanta bago ka mag-abot. Walang courtesy yang mga yan, wala ngang napag-aralan eh, kaya kelangan ikaw mag adjust at gumawa ng diskarte ate, para matuto sila.

6) Please do not use the following lines as I have heard it so many times:
a) "Makabenta po lamang."
b) "Pambili po ng baon."
c) "Birthday ko po ngayon." (Kid, it's been your birthday four times this year.)
d) "Makauwi po lamang." (This is a complete lie, because as soon as you buy the whole bunch, the kid goes running to the Mama San for more.)

7) I do go for the line, "Pambili lang po ng pagkain." Very Angela's Ashes.

How could you even call these "lines"? Pucha, you actually think they're making it up? Fine, I can agree with c, but the others might actually be true you know. Grabe ka naman, alam mo, kung talagang gusto mo magbigay, no questions asked yan. Kahit na niloloko ka o hindi, ibigay mo kung talagang ibibigay mo. Wag ng madaming tanong. Sana hindi ka na lang nagbigay. Dami mong arte! Parang P1,000 yung binigay mo diba?

8) Begging does not become you if you have already pubic hair and are stronger than an ox.

Again, walang alam ibang gawin yang mga yan. Walang pinag-aralan, so ni mag secretary or mag delivery boy, eh hindi alam. And do you even have any idea how hard it is to find work out there? I'm sure they've tried to find work, pero wala lang talagang willing mag-hire sa kanila.

9) If I give you a biscuit, candy, T-shirt and there is a long line, please do not ask one for your "kapatid" because I'm not sure if you really have a kapatid and I cannot see that.

Next time na mamimigay ka, make sure you have lots of extras, or better yet, papilahin mo sila para maayos for you. Hanapin mo yung "kapatid" nya kung gusto mo. Hingin mo na din birth certificate nila. Didn't you ever try to make up some lame excuse to get more when you were a kid?

10) Please do not kill each other, and most important, when the light turns green, do NOT run after my car because you could die!!

Di ako sure kung concern ito for the kids, or concern for your car.

P.S. I don't give money to street children sniffing a bag of glue, but I do feel bad for them because I used to think they were mere drug addicts. But I found out glue is something that supposedly kills appetite. They sniff it in lieu of food. That really sucks.

Shouldn't knowing this open your eyes a bit?

Sa susunod, wag ka ng magpopost ng mga ganyan, kasi nakikita yung pagka matapobre mo.

You should go to some outreach or immersion program para maintindihan mo ng mas mabuti. You just rant about their behavior, but all it actually is, is their needs. You haven't seen their conditions first hand, kaya ka ganyan eh.

Eh kung may nagpark na limo sa harap ng SFAS at namimigay ng mga LV, di ka ba tatakbo at makikipag unahan?

That's just the same thing. Don't judge them, because they have nothing else better to do. Their conditions dictate their actions, so wag ka ng mag complain kasi wala silang choice.

If you seriously don't mind giving to beggars, then don't say anything. It's obvious that you do mind, otherwise you wouldn't have had that post. Mas mahaba pa yung pag rant mo kaysa sa pag sabi mo ng "you don't mind giving to beggars".

And yung mga mag cocomment diyan, bring it on. Mag kampihan na kayo as I am set for a good tongue lashing. Let the others see how screwed up you guys are.

And please, kahit mag disclaimer ka pa, matapobre comment talaga ang ginawa mo no. "Only a commentary on something we see everyday in Manila."? Kahabang commentary naman nyan. Sana hindi ka na nag disclaimer kasi mas nahalata ka pa.