At least 672 homeless persons in the city of Manila were rescued and given shelter by authorities on Tuesday (July 7), after Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso said no homeless person should be left on the streets.
The street dwellers were transferred to Manila Boystown Complex in a joint simultaneous rescue operation led by the Manila Department of Social Welfare (MDSW) and the Manila Police District.
The city government has been providing shelter to street dwellers amid the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
MDSW Director Re Fugoso said the rescued street dwellers will not only be given food and shelter, they will also undergo rapid testing to identify those who have contracted the disease.
She also said they will continue to conduct rescue operations to ensure that every homeless person in the Philippine capital is given shelter amid the current crisis.
"Tuloy-tuloy lang po ang ating pag-iikot sa iba't ibang parte ng Maynila, hindi po tayo titigil hangga't hindi po natin nare-rescue ang lahat ng ating makikita (Our operations will continue in other parts of Manila. We will not stop as long as we have not rescued all the homeless people we see)," she said in a statement.