ALIGAEN, Franco 2013 CO, Jeffrey CONSTANTINO, Jacqueline DAILO, Bianca KIM, Dong Chan SANCHEZ, Patricia VALLEJO,

Amanda GENDERS M71 Proposal

May

7,

Project

Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in exchange for money. It is known as one of the world's oldest profession because it has existed as early as 18th century B.C. and through plenty of cultural changes, the social acceptance for prostitution has changed extensively. Through centuries of changes, prostitution has been accepted while it has also been criminalized and banned in other places. In the Philippine context, the practice of prostitution is punishable by law under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act. Such act can result to penalties ranging up to life imprisonment. As of 2009, there were 800,000 women working as prostitutes in the Philippines cited by Senator Pia Cayetano. Based on our investigation there are many types of prostitutions here in the philippines; some work under recruitment agencies also known as an escort service which offers dating services wherein prostitutes accompany their customers by the hour which will include shopping, dining, leading up to the servicing of sex. This is the most prestigious and expensive form of prostitution because the payment of the customer will include the payment for the mama which is the manager of the prostitutes and also to the owner of the agency, plus the tip that the customer will give them which usually ranges from 10,000 to 100,000 Philippine pesos all in all. Some prostitutes work independently which are mostly the known as street prostitutes. These prostitutes get as much as 10,000 Pesos, which depends on the kind of service they provide. The most extensive and prevalent ones work under health massage/spa centers and ktv entertainment bars which is also the most unpractical one because they are only paid the minimum wage which is around 400 pesos per working day, plus the tip that the customer will give them. Prostitutes that work under health spas and ktv bars are only paid per hour, not by the number of customers they service which makes earning income a daunting task. This paper aims to advocate anti-discrimination of women working as prostitutes in the Philippines. However, it is limited to prostitutes in KTVs/entertainment bars which is the most prevalent form of prostitution in the Philippines. Prostitution is now a big part of the Philippines society. There are a lot of people who wonder why people practice this act and we usually assume that they are poor and suffering from poverty. Since this practice does not necessarily require education, it is easy for women,

and sometimes men, to engage in this type of business. It may be hard for these people to find a job so they turn to prostitution because it is easy to participate in and they can easily earn money. However, being poor is not the only reason why people become prostitutes. Some people who participate in this kind of act might have been deceived by recruiters. These recruiters would persuade them to leave their home town or province to go to the city for a wellpaying job but when they get to Manila, they are tricked into working in this type of industry. Prostitution cannot be "solved" as such as it's a profitable business that is easy to get into. If poverty was reduced, and easier ways of getting into other lines of work were provided, then people would likely be less drawn to prostitution, but so long as there is a demand it will always exist. Although prostitution can immoral, it should be legalized with laws controlling it that can be enforced. The key things that need to be addressed are the problems linked with prostitution, such as disease, high risk of rape, and protection for any kind of harm. Along with these links to other crimes, these can be controlled to a degree by having legitimate prostitution businesses that are regulated and cooperate with the government and police. Article 202 of the Revised Penal Code of the Philippines defines prostitutes as women who, for money or profit, habitually indulge in sexual intercourse or lascivious conduct. Violators or those guilty of this act shall be fined not more than 200 pesos. Those habitual perpetrators will be fined specifically ranging from 200 to 2,000 pesos depending on the discretion of court. Anti-discrimination of prostitution has been taken a course of action, specifically on the discourse on its methods. The Philippine Commission on Women (PCW), which functions as the National Machinery for Gender Equality and Womens Empowerment, has proposed of things that may explain benefits on taking action on this matter. PCW suggests the first steps for the Philippine Government to fulfill its national and international mandate such as: The Philippine Plan for Gender Responsive Development (PPGD); Republic Act 9710 or the Magna Carta for Women (MCW); and the The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women - Concluding Comments on the 5th and 6th Philippine Country Report (2006). The PPGD aims at the core of human rights. This in turn exploits the idea that prostitution is a human right violation and decriminalization of women in prostitution addresses the problem. The desired end of this legislation is that women and children should no longer be arrested or fined like criminals. The MCW provides amendment on laws that are discriminatory to women like the stated Article 202 of the Revised Penal Code of the Philippines. Lastly, 2006 report above called at the Philippine government to take measures to suppress the exploitation of prostituted women, even the discouragement of the demands for prostitution. The discourse on this matter has been discussed in the 12th Congress. The 12th Congress became the trump card on bills to address the issues of prostitution by a shift in the definition of a prostitute as a crime committed by them. The shift from this definition moved to a definition as a crime by the prostitutes recruiter, pimps, bar owners, and customers. The 15 th Congress has three bills (Committees on Justice and Human Rights, and Constitutional

Amendments, Revision of Codes and Laws) addressing the issue of prostitution which in turn have formed a draft substitute bill on Anti-Prostitution. Awareness is almost the first step to solving any socio-cultural issue that affects a certain interest group or a marginalized sector of society. Knowledge about the effects of prostitution to the men and women of the sex industry can allow for change that can translate into bills and laws that will protect these people. The focus of the campaign would be to highlight the different consequences involved with being part of the sex industry i.e. HIV/AIDS, venereal disease, etc. It will also give light to pressing issues such as poverty--the usual reason given behind the motives of sex workers. Giving birth to a diverse selection of NGOs (non-government organizations) signal the urgency of the problem to be solved immediately. Student and human rights groups (ex. AISEC & GABRIELA) can help disseminate the message that this issue of prostitution is something worth of your time and needs immediate attention. Sources: Sanchez, H. (2011, May 18). Prostitution in the Philippines: Finding a Way Out YouTube. YouTube. Retrieved May 6, 2013, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqE7g-sOAb4 Todd, H. (2005, February 12). Feminism and Women's Studies: Prostitution. Feminism and Women's Studies: Welcome. Retrieved May 6, 2013, from http://feminism.eserver.org/prostitution.txt Author Unknown. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_prostitution prostitution definition. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.answers.com/topic/prostitution Prostitution in the Philippines. (2013, March 9). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 13:24, May 6, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Prostitution_in_the_Philippines&oldid=5429770 80 Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003. (2013, April 27). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 13:26, May 6, 2013, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=AntiTrafficking_in_Persons_Act_of_2003&oldid=552395689 prostitution. 2011. In Merriam-Webster.com.Retrieved May 6, 2013, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prostitution Philippine Commission on Women (2013). Enacting an anti-prostitution law. Retrieved May 6, 2013 from http://pcw.gov.ph/anti-prostitution-bill