the other side of globalization

.. a continuation to my previous blogs

Tourist-sending countries, however, also play a significant role. They must realize that trafficking is a global trade and their citizens are part of the problem. “Sex tourists” create demand and pay big money thus making the illegal sex market alive. Donor governments should also take note that some of their citizens are sex offenders in far-away places. Their criminal appetite is stimulated in the Philippines and they are likely to prey on vulnerable minors at home too. And it is possible that they are prone to spreading sexually transmitted diseases including HIV or Aids. It is in the interest of the EU and its member countries to do more to combat modern sex slavery.

Trafficking and exploitation of young people for sex slavery is widespread throughout the world. The US State Department publishes an annual status report that gives grades to the countries that rank from good to bad and to be on the special watch list is bad – that’s where the Philippines ended up once more 2 years ago. This information is very alarming to me because before, I thought that sex exploitation in the Philippines is only minimal. But after reading several news, I figured that there should be something we should do to prevent it from rising. In my opinion, to eliminate this, having a VISA when entering the Philippines should be required. Why not be as strict as other countries when it comes to safety? I think that the only thing our government is concerned about is the number of tourists we get and the increase in revenues, As long as they get something out of it, they don’t care if the purpose of the visitor is to do illegal actions.

The State Department’s report “Trafficking in Persons 2009” states in the Philippines section: “The Philippines is a source, transit and destination country for men, women and children trafficked for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labour.” The document notes that Filipinas are trafficked abroad for commercial sexual exploitation, primarily to Asian countries but also to Africa, the Middle East and Western Europe. The State Department also points out that Filippinas are trafficked within the Philippines from poor rural areas to urban groups “for commercial ­sexual exploitation or for forced labour as domestic servants or factory workers”. The flip side of sex tourism, apparently, is international trafficking of women.