ILOILO CITY: The city government in Iloilo City is providing more opportunities to commercial sex workers to better their lives rather than engage in the oldest profession.

“I am not in favor or encouraging the legalization of prostitution so as to regulate the practice but we are providing opportunities for them to become better members of society,” Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog said in answer to queries to legalize prostitution in this highly urbanized Visayan city.

The city is providing the alternative learning system (ALS) with the Department of Education for out-of-school youths to pass the examination and proceed to a higher level of education.

Some commercial sex workers who failed to study in a regular school classroom already availed of the ALS in order to proceed to high school or college studies.

Similarly, the city government is encouraging sex workers to undergo medical examination in order to qualify for a pink card issued by the city social hygiene clinic. The pink card will show the health state of the card bearer to work without fear of sexually transmitted diseases.

The city government is also providing Philhealth cards to everyone including the commercial sex workers to help them avail of medical treatment in the hospital.

Mabilog said that he is definitely not encouraging prostitution here but reality dictates that the city government takes steps in improving the lives of everyone through education, avoid the spread of sexually transmitted disease including HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Syndrome)-AIDS and helps in physical wellness.

In Congress, Rep. Luz Ilagan of Gabriela Women’s party on Monday warned against proposals to legalize prostitution in the Philippines following a statement from the United Nations recommending the legalization of prostitution amid an increase in HIV cases in the country.

“The legalization of prostitution will not, in anyway, ensures the protection of women, children and men forced to engage in the flesh trade. Legalization will not guarantee protection against sexually transmitted infection and HIV,” Ilagan said.

The militant lawmaker also said that it has been their experience working with prostituted women in Davao City through Talikala to help ensure protection from infection by increasing women’s awareness and education as well as ensuring women’s access to health services.
Instead of legalizing prostitution, Ilagan proposes for Congress to enact legislation to decriminalize prostitution by introducing amendments to the Revised Penal Code.

“Our present laws seek to penalize only the women engaged in prostitution. Prostituted women are treated as criminals rather than victims of poverty and gender inequality. Our laws do not penalize pimps, bar owners and operators or those who pay to use and abuse these women,” Ilagan said.

“Prostitution is a highly organized exploitative system. Legalization would only give pimps, owners of prostitution dens and their customers the leverage to further exploit women as well as children and minors,” she added.