This study aimed to know and perceive sex tourism in the city of Makati, Philippines, where tourism and business collide, leading to prostitution. The researcher assessed people`s understanding of the concept of sex tourism, their awareness of the presence of this practice in Makati city and related policies, people`s belief in the reasons for buying and selling sexual activity, and their opinion on the harm caused by sexual activity to buyers and sellers. This study showed that people understand what sex tourism is and are very aware of its existence in Makati City, but they do not know how to stop it by believing that entrepreneurs have close ties to the government. Despite all the open-mindedness, people are still aware of the illegality of this practice in the Philippines, but they do not know the details of the laws associated with it. Although there are other reasons to sell and buy sexual activities, people see poverty as the main motivation why people choose to work as prostitutes, while tourist demand is the reason why there is prostitution in the city, and regardless of whether they are profitable or not. People still believed that sex tourism should be stopped because of the extreme harm it inflicts on buyers and sellers. The researcher concludes that this study is a good basis for finding solutions to solve the problem. This will help affected organizations and individuals think about how to end sex tourism in the Philippines, starting with prostitution in Makati City. Solutions based on the ideas of authority should be communicated to local residents, including law enforcement and tourists, through vocational training programs so that people as a nation can achieve the goal, whether that goal is to end or legalize sex tourism in the Philippines. If people are aware of the illegality of sex tourism in Makati City, Philippines, national and local government units should take an interest.
If this continues to increase over the next few years, people might think that there is a big problem with our law enforcement agencies in particular and the government in general. The Community should also organise seminars on sex tourism so that more people are made aware of it, in particular on current policies related to prostitution. This will help them understand the pros and cons of sex tourism, but at the same time, it will help them find ways to stop it. The legal status of prostitution varies from country to country, from legal and considered profession to the death penalty. Some jurisdictions prohibit prostitution (the exchange of sexual services for money); other countries do not prohibit prostitution itself, but prohibit activities generally associated with it (advertising in a public place, running a brothel, pimping, etc.), making prostitution difficult without breaking any laws; And in some countries, prostitution is legal and regulated [7]. In www.huffingtonpost.com, an article titled “The Most Popular Countries for Sex Tourism” was published on September 1, 2015 and updated a year later by Lara Grant of oyster.com. The countries on the list are the Dominican Republic, which is ranked No. 1, followed by Thailand, Cambodia, the Netherlands, Spain, Brazil and the Philippines. The data show that of the 7 countries, only the Dominican Republic, the Netherlands, Spain and Brazil allow sex tourism, as prostitution is legal there, while prostitution is widespread worldwide despite illegality in Cambodia, Thailand and the Philippines [8]. According to a survey by the International Labour Organization, prostitution is one of the most alienating forms of work. [30] More than 50 percent of Filipino massage parlors surveyed said they did their work “with a heavy heart” and 20 percent said they were “conscientious because they always considered sex with clients a sin.” [30] Interviews with Filipino bar girls revealed that more than half of them felt “nothing” when they had sex with a customer, and the rest said transactions made them sad. [30] There is no single reason for the widespread spread of prostitution in the Philippines.
Poverty is only one reason, as cultural factors and people`s attitudes towards money and social acceptance of prostitution play a major role. [2] This research plays an important role in the tourism industry and economy of the Philippines, i.e. the government legislature to find solutions to the problem, and law enforcement agencies to promote stricter law enforcement. This would help interested researchers assess the social problems related to prostitution, especially nowadays as there are cases of human trafficking in the country. “Sex tourism is the third most lucrative industry in the Philippines. But current sanctions and enforcement policies have no impact on businesses. As in many other countries, prostitutes are arrested, but not the clients, managers and others whose huge profits make this business so attractive. The penalty for prostitution is a fine of $500, or twelve years in prison.
Although this law, in force for three decades, applies to women who dance naked or in sparse bikini clips, an important element in the prostitution industry, arrests are rarely made for corruption and bribery. |~| “While the government makes numerous arrests in this business and sex establishments are regularly closed, the front pages of major newspapers show young girls in bikinis being taken away by agents, but never by brothel owners, tour operators, their cohorts and pimps. The Philippine Congress is still struggling to pass a law that makes the client of a child prostitute criminally liable, even if he does not use the services of a pimp. The aim was to increase the maximum penalty for child labour and exploitation to twenty years. The 1995 Act set the penalty for child prostitution at twenty years` imprisonment; However, the punishment for pornography and pedophilia remained unchanged. |~| “There were times when they didn`t have money to buy food…