BANGKOK, 1999. Thailand was hosting the Asean Ministerial Meeting.
I was a very young journalist and very excited to cover the event. The meetings and drudgery end after the diplomats retire to their hotel rooms, of course, and from that hour on I was a tourist in Bangkok.
And when in Bangkok with limited time—like two or three hours a night—the easiest place to seek out fun and novelty is Paht Pong near Silom and Suriwong Roads.
Paht Pong used to be the place for American GIs taking R&R from the Vietnam War. It’s grown from a few girlie bars in the 1960s to a colorful district of bars and restaurants and a night market catering to the regular tourist as well as those seeking very specific thrills.
Here, I learned that a woman can use body parts other than her hands, feet or mouth to open bottles of beer or throw darts and pop balloons tied at the other end of the stage.
I also learned that if you’re going anywhere with a white man (or black, although I’ve not had the experience), people tend to assume you’re his girl for the moment.
I learned this much from some guy talking in rapid Thai trying to catch my attention. When I told him I wasn’t Thai, he apologized, saying in English that he thought I was but, in any case, would I like to bring my boyfriend to the bar upstairs. I stomped away scandalized and huffing.
Looking around, though, it was easy to make the assumption. A lot of young local women, generally in curve-flattering outfits, were strolling about with one arm hooked to that of a non-Asian man.
That is not to say that Thailand doesn’t offer other, more conventional and politically palatable tourist destinations and attractions nor that the scene is limited to Paht Pong or similarly licentious locales.
For certain you’ve seen some of our women sashaying about the streets in short shorts and a tank top sporting the ultimate accessory: an American, or a Japanese, or an Australian or European or some other nationality.
I work for a non-Filipino agency and often go on business trips with the non-Filipino boss.
It’s always uncomfortable when, while checking into the hotel, I have to point out to the front desk that we reserved for two rooms, one smoking and one non-smoking. It’s also uncomfortable when people hawking cheap souvenirs tug at my arm appealing to encourage my “friend”—and you can hear the malice in their voice—to get something from them.
The assumption is that when a Filipina travels with a non-Filipino man, they are in some kind of relationship never mind if it is real or a commercial one.
Many were offended when US Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr. said that 40 percent of tourists come to the Philippines for sex. Thomas eventually apologized for the figure he said couldn’t be supported with actual data.
It is worthwhile to point out, though, that he did so via SMS to Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario. Malacañang is happy with that act of contrition much like timid girlfriend accepts the request for reconciliation of an erring boyfriend via text.
That aside, prostitution and sexual trafficking is well-documented in the Philippines. Men, women and many children make a buck and a few pennies from it. Some of them knowingly engage in the trade while others are sold into sexual slavery.
Being offended by a comment that a portion of tourists come to the Philippines because of cheap sex is doing a disservice to victims of sexual trafficking. We need to fully acknowledge the gravity of the problem because it is the only way to find the political will to put an end to the abuse.
Humantrafficking.org estimates around 100,000 victims of human trafficking in the Philippines. That sounds like a conservative figure. That estimate can only balloon if we are simply offended that there is prostitution and human trafficking in our conservatively Catholic country.
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The Blessed Caterina Cittadini Foundation Inc (BCCFI) is celebrating its 10th founding anniversary with a fun run on October 16 (Sunday) at the Filinvest Complex in Alabang from 4am to 10am. The fun run has 3K, 5K or 10K laps.
Proceeds from the activity will go to the Ursuline Sisters and the BCCFI’s scholarship program.
Interested individuals can register at the 2nd Floor, Customer Service Area, Festival Mall or inquire thru Jun Garcia (542-6236), Richard Alolor (0917-5118766), Carol Bachar (0917-838 3361) or Geraldine (869 0015).
BCCFI was founded in July 2001 under the umbrella of the Ursuline Sisters of St Jerome of Somasca in San Pedro Laguna though the inspiration of Blessed Mother Caterina Cittadini.
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