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Michelle L. Babb
Ms. Clover
TSEA: Period 3
26 May 2010
The Legalization of Prostitution in the Philippines: Ineffective Change
“Prostitution will always lead into a moral quagmire in democratic societies with
capitalist economies; it invades the terrain of intimate sexual relations yet beckons for
regulation. A society’s response to prostitution goes to the core of how it chooses
between the rights of some persons and the protection of others” (“Quotes on…”)
~ Barbara Meil Hobson
The Philippines, one of the eleven Southeast Asian nations, is home to many
qualities that make it appealing to both foreigners and locals alike: beautiful beaches,
delicious delicacies, and spectacular sights to behold. However, beyond the seemingly
innocent façade that some men, women, and children hide behind, the Philippines holds a
troubling reality: the nation makes millions of dollars from its illegal sex-trade industry
(Baguioro). It is believed that there are about a million sex-industry workers in the
Philippines, a third of them minors under the age of 18 (How). Of those, approximately
400,000 to 500,000 of them are prostitutes specifically, and while a majority are adult
women, there are males, transvestites, and children of both sexes working as prostitutes
in the Philippines. Commonly from semi-rural and urban areas, these prostitutes have
often been victimized through acts of incest and other forms of sexual abuse (qtd. in
Hughes). However, it is believed that the legalization of prostitution may prove to be
beneficial for the developing nation. Some believe that the legalization of prostitution

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may expand the sex-trade industry in the Philippines, thus creating a steadier flow of
income for a nation that already receives millions from its illegal activities (Baguioro).
Additionally, by legalizing prostitution, it is believed that government regulations may be
implemented to protect and shelter prostitutes from physical and sexual harm, as well as
sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) (Liberator). Nevertheless, despite numerous
benefits for the prostitutes as well as the Philippines itself, prostitution should not be
legalized, as it is believed to create economic difficulties for those in the sex trade
industry; may not assure the protection of the prostitutes, specifically prostituted children;
and may not guarantee the reduction of highly widespread diseases.
The legalization of prostitution, a multimillion-dollar industry in the Philippines,
may increase gross domestic product for the still-developing nation, and may even save
money for the Philippine government. Because of the economic hardships the nation has
been facing since the late 1990s, the predominantly Catholic nation has begun accepting
this line of work as the answer to the Filipinos’ monetary difficulties (Baguioro). In a
2000 study conducted by the University of Philippines, it was estimated that the illegal
sex-trade industry was the fourth largest source of revenue for the Philippines (Baguioro).
In some of the poorest regions of the Philippines, parents even coax their children to
work in the illegal sex-trade industry overseas, hoping that their children can send back
money for their families and profits for the country (Baguioro). Examples of the effect of
prohibiting illegal activities can be witnessed throughout history, illustrating that bans
have little to prevent the demand for underground industries, one of which includes the
sex trade. For example, when alcohol was prohibited in the United States from 1920 to
1933, the United States government lost approximately $9 million trying to restrict the

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consumption of bootlegged alcohol. In addition, the government lost an innumerable
amount of money that may have, instead, been gained from the sale of alcohol
(Liberator). Therefore, applying this to prostitution would illustrate that the sex trade is a
growing industry, and some people believe that, in order to expand the Philippine
economy to the best of its ability, prostitution should be legalized.
However, if prostitution were legalized, the prostitutes themselves may find that
earning money would become a more difficult goal to achieve. Many prostitutes admit
that it is already difficult to save what they have earned because of “expenses” for pimps
and brothel owners (Martin). For example, women have begun offering outdoor
“massages” to foreigners for the Philippine peso equivalent of only $7.00 (Martin).
Though the work of these women is not correlated with the particular resort, it is not
uncommon to discover that the owners of these resorts secretly demand a fraction of each
woman’s earnings (Martin). In rural areas of the Philippines, women, men, and children
are lured into the world of prostitution with the simplest of offerings: fish, coffee, or even
rice (Martin). Additionally, in the Philippines, a term known as “prosti-tuition” has been
on the rise; the word is currently used to describe schoolgirls looking to pay for their high
school or college tuition by soliciting clients in common areas such as the local mall
(Baguioro). Alas, the young girls that solicit these possible clients are as young as 12
years old (Baguioro). Thus, prostitution should not be legalized, as these prostituted
women, men, and children already illustrate ample economic difficulties without external
sources such as the government demanding commissions from these sexual acts.
On the other hand, by legalizing prostitution, some believe that regulations may
be implemented to help protect prostitutes from physical abuse, sexual abuse, and the

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spread of sexually transmitted diseases. If it were to be legalized, the Philippine
government may create guidelines and policies that would require regular medical
examinations for prostitutes, preventing STDs and other ailments from being knowingly
or unknowingly spread, in addition to offering birth control options for women of
childbearing age (Liberator). Additionally, legalized prostitution may allow prostitutes
the ability to safely escape the dangerous underground sex-trade industry (Liberator). By
implementing strict regulations on how prostitutes work, it is also believed that the
overall rate of people suffering from STDs will also decrease (Baguioro). If prostitution
were to be legalized, the situations of these sex-industry workers may be managed and
helped instead of brushed aside and ignored (Liberator). As a result, legalization may
have the profound ability of providing a safe haven for these men, women, and children
in the lucrative sex-trade industry.
Conversely, the legalization of prostitution may not assure the protection of
prostitutes and may not guarantee a decrease in the amount of minors working in the
industry. In the Philippines, Filipino men rarely notice whether a prostitute he has
solicited is looks 15 or 25 (qtd. in Hughes). This illustrates how dangerous the industry is
in general, but more so for those under the age of 18, or of legal consent. It is because of
this that prostituted children remain as damaged souls even after efforts to rehabilitate
them (qtd. in Hughes). These children are treated as though they are adults working in the
business. It is incorrectly believed that child prostitutes cannot carry diseases like adult
prostitutes are able to, and as a result, the numbers of prostituted children are constantly
on the rise. Even if prostitution were to be legalized, there is no scientific evidence that
children who have ever been involved within the sex industry have the ability to forget

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the horrors of their sexual encounters, and few of these former child prostitutes have ever
been able to live anything resembling a psychologically healthy life (qtd. in Hughes). In
general, by legalizing prostitution, it may not be assured that violence and sexual abuse
will not continue to be committed towards prostituted women, men, and children (qtd. in
Hughes). Legalizing prostitution, therefore, may not assure protection for women, men,
and children in the business, nor can it guarantee a restraint on prostituted children.
Additionally, by legalizing prostitution, there is little assurance that the spread of
disease may not continue to be rampant. For example, the number of prostituted children
suffering from HIV/AIDS in on the rise (qtd. in Hughes). It is believed that the diseases
of these underage prostitutes are attributed to the relations these children have with older
clients, who have passed the disease from traditional ways (qtd. in Hughes). Additionally,
a third of all HIV infections within the nation are accounted for from Filipino workers
living and working in countries such as Japan and Korea (Baguioro). It is because of this
risky sexual behavior between older men with male, female, transvestite, and child
prostitutes that the World Health Organization fears that the Philippines will face an HIV
epidemic (Baguioro). Hence, the legalization of prostitution may not assure a restraint on
the spread of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and other dangerous ailments.
In conclusion, despite having clear benefits for the Philippine government as well
as the prostitutes themselves, prostitution in the Philippines should not be legalized and
be viewed as promoting, in any way, the dangerous sex-trade industry. The legalization
of prostitution may not assure what is believed to happen, as the GDP of the nation may
not increase, the Philippine government may not save money, and possible government
regulations may not help protect and regulate the lifestyles and work habits of over one

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million prostitutes in the Philippines (qtd. in Hughes). Most importantly though,
prostitution should not be regarded, in any way, as a “legitimate business transaction”, as
the exchange between a prostitute and a client has a far greater significance than what the
term may, at first, illustrate. American author Camille Paglia agrees, claiming
“prostitution is not just a service industry, mopping up the overflow of male demand,
which always exceeds female supply. Prostitution testifies to the amoral power struggle
of sex … Prostitutes, pornographers, and their patrons are marauders in the forest of
archaic night”.

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Works Cited
Baguioro, Luz. "The rise of prosti-tuition." Philippines Correspondent 6 Apr. 2005,:
NewsBank. Web. 12 May 2010.
Hughes, Donna M., et al., comps. "Philippines - Facts on Trafficking and Prostitution."
Factbook on Global Sexual Exploitation. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 May 2010. <http://
www.uri.edu/artsci/wms/hughes/philippi.htm>.
Liberator, Mark. "Legalized Prostitution: Regulating the Oldest Profession." The
Liberator – Iconoclastic Electronic Maganizine. N.p., 8 Dec. 2005. Web. 11 May
2010. <http://www.liberator.net/articles/prostitution.html>.
Martin, Sammy. "Prostitution worsens in poor areas--study." The Manila Times,
Philippines 6 Apr. 2005,: NewsBank. Web. 12 May 2010.
How, Paul C.H. "BusinessWorld (Philippines): Prostitution fourth largest source of GNP
(RP has become one of major." Business World (Philippines) 6 Apr. 2005,:
NewsBank. Web. 12 May 2010.
"Quotes on Prostitution." Notable Quotes. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 May 2010. <http://www.
notable-quotes.com/p/prostitution_quotes.html>.