I don't think having a poor person arrested or fined is the answer. I am guessing some of this happens because they get the animal when they have a bit of coin.... Then as times get tough, they feed them less or release them.
It is very sad. Pets are great companions, but as you said...they are the owner's responsibility to care for.
Personally... I would be more likely to support putting animals to sleep(painless kill) and 'teaching people to fish', than to support 20 homeless animals that the natural ecosystem (people or nature) cannot support.
How are the conditions there for outside cats? So many that rat/mouse populations are next to nil? Or a valuable part of rodent control?
Cats seem to survive better outside than dogs. For a dog to survive, they need to form packs and kill small animals(like wolves do). Clearly, that doesn't work well in an urban environment... They become dangerous trouble dogs.
I hope your kidness and encouragment can help sway the people. Just don't be too heavy handed about it. As an outsider you would likely cause insult.
Good luck!
Peace
Your're right. The humanitarian nature of the Filipino people prevents them from turning over a neighbor to authorities... that's why there is such a problem. It should start with education, but we all know (those of us that live there) about how well that goes with the littering problem. It just doesn't work. The humanitarian euthanization program is the only way at the moment, but it costs money do conduct a full-time operations. Cats on the other hand will be the only co-survivors with cockroaches after a nuclear holocost. We don't see many mice or rats around our place. But then again, our group of feral cats are well fed... thanks to the Mrs. ;)
Haha.... Cats and cockroaches... Will they interbreed??
Aliens will need to intervene... again!