The Philippine Online Chronicles

At a workshop of Justices of the Court of Appeals, US Ambassador Harry Thomas did the unthinkable: publicly criticize the country while representing the United States as its ambassador. A flurry of talk ensued, and now Enrile and Sotto, among others, are asking for an explanation as to where Thomas could have possibly gotten the figures for his allegation that 40% of all male tourists in the country visit the country for sex.

Not the issue

The US embassy did not comment on where Thomas’ figures came from, but the figures or accuracy thereof are not the issue here. The issue is the existence of prostitution, sex trafficking, and sex tourism in the country, and how the government has responded and is continuing to respond to it: sidestepping the issue. Instead of looking into the issue of prostitution, Enrile is asking for sources, as if a lesser percentage would erase the issue or give the government the right to look the other way. What’s worse than Thomas or the US embassy not providing citations for its figures, however, is that the likes of Sotto or Enrile cannot provide better facts themselves. Challenging facts without providing factual counter arguments is simply another way of avoiding the issue while maximizing publicity opportunities from the plight of people who actually continue to suffer from sex tourism and prostitution.

Prostitution at a glance

There are no clear-cut facts about prostitution in the Philippines precisely because it is considered taboo, and the government has never really paid attention to the issue. As with a host of other illicit activities, everyone but the police knows where to find the sex dens. No government agency, not even the DSWD, has accurate figures to report up to now, which is why navigating through the murky waters of prostitution research has always been challenging. A fact book from the URI report:

1. As much as 60,000 children are exploited in the country annually.
2. By 1998, as much as 150,000 Filipinas have been trafficked into Japan for prostitution. The Yakuza buys women at around $2,400 to $18,000 in 1992.
3. Over 55,000 women have been sent to the US as mail order brides.
4. Over 20,000 women have been sent to Australia as mail order brides.
5. There are as many prostituted persons in the county as there are members of the manufacturing workforce, according to Rene Ofreneo.
6. Up to 75,000 children have been prostituted because of poverty
7. Even excluding unregistered and seasonal prostitutes, as many as 400,000 women worked in prostitution in 1998.
8. 40,000 children were in prostitution in 1998.
9. The Philippines is 4^th when it comes to countries with child prostitution.

10. By 1997, 37 provinces have child sex rings.

And while most clients who participate in sex trade are Filipinos, a considerable number of foreigners also engage in sex tourism. The countries that have the greatest number of sex tourists in the country are from the United States, Great Britain, Australia, and Japan, most of whom end up with minors as sex partners.

For a country that has passed first Anti-Child Abuse Law in Asia, the continued proliferation of prostitution in the country is an indication of the inability of the administration to enforce its laws. From the implementation of the anti-child abuse law, only several dozens of cases have been successfully prosecuted out of the tens of thousands of children who have been prostituted. One of the reasons for the lax implementation of the law is because the government itself benefits from the sale of women in prostitution. Sex trafficking for the government is just another type of exportation that helps keep the cash flowing in the form of remittances. And it isn’t just lax implementation of policies that has worsened prostitution in the Philippines. A number of law enforcers and members of government themselves directly engage with prostitutes. Jalosjos’ case was highly publicized, but is not isolated. Worse, collaborations between local authorities and prostitution dens are also rampant, which provides security for pimps and operators.

Rooting prostitution

Sex tourism and prostitution are issues that will not resolve themselves with simple fact-checking. Prostitution and sex tourism is essentially the result of a lack of alternative economic and livelihood options for women. The continuing economic crisis and inability of the government to provide for livelihood for the people continues to force women and even children into prostitution. Unemployment rates are pegged at 7.4%, which means that up to 36.3 million Filipinos are jobless, of which up to 39.1 have college schooling but are still unable to find jobs. Even this, however, is an inaccurate gauge of just how inutile the government is in providing livelihood. With a minimum wage of as low as Php 200 per day, prostitution becomes a problem that is intricately related with the economic mishandling of the government. As of 2009, the poverty incident for the population was pegged at 26.5 percent, which means that while there are employment options, these do not suffice to meet needs as basic as food and housing.

What the government can do about sex tourism and prostitution

Though said to be the oldest profession, there is no reason why the government can’t do anything about sex tourism and prostitution. One of the first things that the government can do is to disassociate itself from prostitution from within. This isn’t just a call against politicians such as former Mayors Bayani Alonte and Edgardo Pamintuan or Quezon City representative Manolet Lavides, but for police officers themselves who have under the table dealings with prostitution dens. The fact is that prostitution dens can only operate unimpeded by law if they are protected by law enforcers.

Most importantly, however, the government should understand that prostitution is ultimately founded on poverty. Unless the government solves the issue of poverty, by fundamentally changing its current economic policies, and provides viable alternative livelihoods and jobs, prostitution will continue to exist in the country. It doesn’t matter whether Thomas’ 40 percent is an accurate figure or not. In the end, even a single prostituted woman or child should merit the government’s response.

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