Group challenges P-Noy to address root cause of prostitution

October 5, 2010 - Davao city-- Joan, not her real name, is a member of Lawig Bubai, an association of women- survivors of prostitution.  Last August, while sitting along San Pedro Street, she was harassed by a man who grabbed and fondled her breasts. Joan reacted by slapping the man, who later got mad and ran after her with a knife.

Joan reported the incident to the police station.  Unfortunately, the police officer discouraged her from filing a complaint since she is “supposed to be a prostituted woman.”

“This is just one type of discrimination that a woman in prostitution gets,” said Cindy Golosinda, Chairperson of Lawig Bubai, a member-organization of Gabriela.

Golosinda said “The law enforcer’s discrimination against our member is a reflection of how our society discriminates women in prostitution.”

“Ubos ang pagtan-aw sa kababayen-an nga anaa sa prostitusyon. Wala man lang nag-tuki kung nganong napugos sa prostitusyon ang atong kababayen-an ug mga kabatan-onan,” she said.

According to the group, the state’s response to prostitution is limited only to arrest and raids in business establishments that serve as fronts for prostitution. The state also legalizes”prostitution by mandating women to secure occupational permits thru the  issuance of “pink cards.”

As today marks the “Day of No Prostitution in Davao City”, Lawig Bubai and Gabriela challenged the Aquino government to address the root causes of prostitution.

“Ang babaye nga anaa sa prostitusyon, unang-una nga biktima sa kalisod,” Golosinda said.

According to the Family Income and Expenditure Survey of the government, the percentage of family who are poor increased to almost 16% . This was based on its data last 2006 with 27 poor families out of 100 families, compared to 24 poor families out of 100 families in 2003.

Lawig Bubai, on the other hand, believes that this is a conservative estimate of the actual families who are impoverished.  

“If we base it on international standards, of US $2 per person per day or roughly P86, we will end up with 66 million Filipino or 7 out of 10 Filipinos considered poor in 2006,” Golosinda said.

“Half of the poor Filipinos comprise women who bear the day to day burden of making ends meet for their families,” she added.

“If the government will not solve the problems of unemployment and low wages, landlessness and lack of basic social services, we will see an increase in number of women in prostitution every year who will be discriminated and abused and denied of their justice and dignity,” Golosinda said.


For reference:

Cindy Golosinda
Chairperson
Lawig Bubai