I have this new fear. It's not a fear, per se, but more of I'd rather not encounter a certain kind of this "thing." I know I'm being vague and confusing you in the process. But what if I told you that my new found fear comes in the form of street children?

Yes, you heard it right. Street children.

A couple of months ago, A and I were walking towards his car, which was parked on the sidewalk beside one of the branches I work for. A kid, around nine, followed and asked us to buy his sampaguitas. Normally, we would say no, brush them off, or ignore them. I told him that I don't have money and even pointed out that I didn't have my wallet or purse with me. He wouldn't stop pestering us but we just kept ignoring him. When we reached the car, he put his body in between me and the passenger side's door, blocking the key hole or the car handle. I couldn't get in the car. This was the first time a street kid did that and I was surprised. He begged us to buy from him/ give him money. A calmly told him that we didn't have any money with us. I was starting to lose my patience. I didn't know how else to pacify him and make him stop yet I was also getting scared because he was close to tears. One of our valets passed by and I sought his help. He had to pull the kid away because talking to him wasn't helping. I finally got into the safety of the car but A wasn't able to as the kid did the same thing again. The valet had to get him once again. Since we were thisclose to getting away from him, the kid started crying. Not just silently crying but bawling! While we were in the car, we searched for coins to appease him. I think we came up with P3 only. When we gave him the coins, he begged for more because it wasn't enough! I was losing my patience even more and couldn't believe what I was seeing. I was beginning to feel harassed. I told A to drive away quickly and as we did, the boy ran after us, banging at the trunk.

Another instance was at the stoplight in McKinley Road. A boy approached my window, selling sampaguitas again. Normally, we would tap on the window to let them know that we're not buying or giving them anything. But the kid did not leave. I didn't want to be rude by ignoring them so I shook my hand and lifted my hands as if to say, I don't have any money. And then, I hear him say, "Tignan mo sa wallet mo! Meron yan! (Look into your wallet! You have (money)!)" I was surprised that he told me that. Since when do they, for lack of a proper term, force you to do something. And when I didn't make a move to check my wallet, he said, "Kahit P50 lang! (Even if it's just P50)!" The phrase surprised me even more. Since when do street kids tell you the amount you're supposed to give? One last time, I shook my head. He kept saying, "Sige na, ma'm!" and in resignation, frustration and anger, he lightly punched my window. As my friend said, the street kids are the ones who are already asking from you yet they're also causing trouble.

Yes, I "fear" street kids because they have become aggressive. Once, there was this understanding that if you can't give anything, you tap your window and the beggar or peddler would move to the next car. But now, they're practically forcing you to give them alms. The change in their attitude and it is alarming. You couldn't help but think that these kids work for syndicates, gangs and criminals. And it makes me wonder, do we still have social obligations to these kids? Especially knowing that the money you give will probably not go to them and will only go to a person/ people who are earning more than you?

I was talking discussing this topic with one of our VPs who has become a good friend. The topic moved to men who enjoy getting drunk on gin with their equally jobless buddies at the corner sari- sari store when their kids are at home, wherever home is, trying to sleep over an empty stomach. They blame the government and even the rich for their misfortunes yet they are not doing anything to change their situation. Just because the working class has money does not mean they are not affected also by the economic crises. They don't know that we all suffer too as the crises don't choose whom to hit. And so as a result of sitting on their asses the whole day and night, the kids are left with no choice but to beg, which is wrong, because you're teaching them to go the easy way out, instead of finding ways to alleviate their standing. I commend those men who are out wiping windshields, or selling those funny yet weird looking toys and food. They are not only finding ways to feed their family, they are also doing it legally.

I told her that some of them wallow too much in self pity that they don't do anything also and she told me an experience she had.

A few years ago, she was jobless and had no Peso to her name. Her son needed heart surgery which cost a million pesos. She had to find ways to raise the money, even asking money from strangers. In the end, she was able to raise the money. The day before her son got out of the hospital, she went to the children's cancer ward of the hospital and found a mother crying her heart out. She asked the mother what was wrong.

Mother: Kailangan ko ng P10,000 para ipa- opera yung kamay ng anak ko (I need P10,000 to have my child's hand operated on)
VP: Alam mo, imbis na umiyak ka diyan maghanap ka ng paraan. Bakit di ka lumapit sa PCSO (Phil. Charity Sweepstakes Office), sa Pagcor, sa ABSCBN, sa GMA? P10,000 lang yan! Ang dali- dali nilang makukuha yan! (You know, instead of crying and crying, why don't you find a way? Why don't you approach PCSO? Pagcor? ABSCBN? GMA? It's only P10,000! They can easily raise that much!)
Mother: Paano mo nalaman? (How did you know?)
VP: Dahil kinailangan ko ng P1,000,000 para sa anak ko. (Because I needed P1,000,000 for my child).
Mother: Sinasabi mo lang yan dahil mayaman ka. (You're just saying that because you're rich.)
VP: Di mo alam ang pinagdaanan ko. Kung mahal mo anak mo, gagawa ka ng paraan. (You don't know what I've been through. If you love your child, you will find a way).

So my question is, do we have a social obligation to these people? The children who are probably working for criminals? The people who do nothing but beg? The men who complain about their misfortunes yet do nothing but wait for some miracle?

I don't know. I'd rather give my money to the building of our parish church, or an orphanage or the education of a scholar. Does saying no to the questions above make me mean? Am I being selfish? Will somebody please tell me if I'm wrong and put me in my place?