Two kids in Cebu city in the Philippines. Tough kids gambling on the sidewalk. It is a hard life to be old and living on the streets.
Without a doubt there are kids that beg for a living in the tourist districts of Cebu and anywhere else tourists congregate. Some can be very aggressive and will walk alongside and tap your elbow as you walk along. Rarely do I give anything to these kids but once in a while there is a person that touches your soul and you give them something. You can't save everyone but why not help out once in a while.
I find beggars in General Santos in Mindanao to be the most aggressive. Give me money. Give me money. Give me money. Give me money...under no circumstances do i give them anything. It is not as easy to ignore them as you might think.
On the other hand, I usually keep plenty of coins in my pocket and give freely by my own choice and have no regrets about that. It is kind of a personal call.
In Zamboanga there was a group of friendly young boys that slept in a vacant lot across from my hotel. Every night I bought them a bag of pan del sol (small breads) and some rice to share. An acquaintance really was angry with me, saying that these kids were just part of an organized begging gang. I think that they were just working together to survive because I saw them sleeping on those piles of garbage late at night.
You can't help everyone but it is a good idea to remember that you can't take it with you either.
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