If you walk around Makati specially in the central business district (CBD), Greenbelt Malls and Glorieta malls you may have come across this scenario several times:
A lady carrying a child will follow you around and ask for cash with the line “Excuse me sir, pahingi naman po ng pamasahe pauwi lang sa probinsya”. I’ve been followed around by them severeal times already and if I’ll count them you’ll find out that there are many people asking for money to go back to the province but if you tell them to go to the proper authority… they all simply fly away and move on to their next victim to be.
This is how they make their living, they scam you by carrying a child to make you feel guilty.
Its best to avoid them by not looking at them directly specially in the eyes as they might be members of “Budol-budol” gang as well. I hope that the Makati police, MAPSA and the Ayala Malls security personnel can see them and make action.
There might be some that really needs the ‘pamasahe’ to go back to their province but they have to go to the correct institution and not by asking to some random people because chances are they wont get any help.