Senator tells govt: Use posters, media against sex tourism

The government should craft messages discouraging sex tourism in the Philippines, using posters and other forms of media, a senator said Monday in reaction to the United States ambassador’s statement on prostitution in the country. In a privilege speech, Sen. Pia Cayetano particularly challenged Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez, a former advertising executive, to translate messages against sex tourism “into a storyboard" or an advertising plan. Cayetano, who chairs the Senate committee on youth, women, and family relations, was reacting to the statement of US Ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas Jr. last Thursday that 40 percent of male tourists come to the Philippines for sex. The ambassador, however, did not state where he got his data. Prostitution is illegal in PHL Cayetano said the government should install posters in airports, as well as other public places, to remind tourists that prostitution is illegal in the Philippines. The senator showed an example from another developing country, Cambodia, of posters that discourage sex tourism there. “Child sex tourism is unacceptable," one of these posters say. “If you see anything suspicious, call the number above." “Where are our signs like this?" Cayetano remarked. The senator also lamented how some hotels, which she did not identify, even serve to facilitate prostitution in the Philippines. “We are not doing enough," she said. Cayetano pointed out that the Philippines needs to improve its efforts against trafficking in human beings even after the US recognized the country in June for implementing reforms against this global scourge. The US then removed the Philippines from its Tier 2 trafficking watch list, lauding the country for increasing its trafficking convictions. Senator Francis Escudero, on the other hand, questioned the basis of Thomas’ statement, which the ambassador did not attribute to any source. Sen. Loren Legarda echoed Escudero’s concerns, calling for a verification of Thomas' statement. The renewed attention sex tourism is getting theses days comes at a time when the Philippines is ramping up efforts to attract more tourists under the leadership of the new Tourism chief Jimenez. — VS, GMA News