These guys are those who get inside the jeepney making their act like a drama or drumming. But most of the time they just beg for money without excreting an effort.There are some who have planned their charade well. They'll give a piece of paper or envelope with an untidy scribble saying “Mam sir maaawa na po kayo sa Badyao,” knowing that they can’t even speak Tagalog. I even took a picture of it.I guess they got this idea from the so called “Bus-Stop Missionaries”. Missionaries from a religious group we don’t really know.
Do we really have to have pity for the Badyaos (or the bus-stop missionaries)? Is it really our fault that they have this kind of life? Why on earth would I give alms to a Badyao, when in the first place they could have worked to earn it?
In our town at Balayan, Badyao is also common;but don’t you put a bad eye on them. There are those male Badyao who is selling jewelries, mostly pearl ,and mind you these are real pearls. Well of course it would be hard for us to trust this kind of people selling these kind of accessories (in a very low price); but they would simply say “Ma’am, ang mga Badyao po ay hindi sinungaling.” This made me awed, and it is safe to say that these pearls are authentic. I could still remember one of my classmate’s mom, who has a good taste, bought one of those for only 200 pesos.
If only all badyao would be like the pearl sellers of Balayan, they could be the next Hans Brumann, and our streets will be free from wondering beggars. Sulong Pilipinas!
