Farasss Eire TF ain AL) Supported by the Belgian Government through the Belgian Aciinistraton for Development Cooperation (BADC) Vol. 2.No. 2» August 1008 A unified stand against ‘prostituting forces fe, women from, seven organiza tions belonging to the Philippine Nevwork Against Trafficking in Women (PNATW) reject the ratification of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) The governmer resented by Depart- ment of Foreign AE fairs Secretary Do- mingo Siazon, signed the agreement with US Ambassador Thomas Hub- bard last February 10. This betrayed the supposed pro-poor stance of the Estrada administration. We join the growing ranks of people’s organiza- tions, civic groups and other sectors of Philippine society who ate stand- ing up against the VFA: ‘We believe the ratification of the VEA will exacerbate the ongoing sexual exploitation of our people, par- ticularly poor women and children who are vulnerable to prostitution, The presence of the US forces in the country, by whatever name and by Whatever agreement, will only aggra- vate the problem of prostitution and rep: trafficking in women and children. While the government can- not give these wo- men alternative liveli- hood, the VEA ratifi- cation even leads them to prostitution and other forms of sexual exploitation. President Estrada’s pronouncement that he would push for the ratification of the VEA come July 27, the opening of the 11* Congress, is inconsistent with his supposed nation- alist stance in the past when along with 11 senators, he joined the move to oust the US military bases in 1991. We urge the Philippine policy mak- ers not to ratify the VEA. We urge you not to sell the dignity of our women and children, and of our nation. |S cpaty Santa Toros ‘Emme Parle Aves e Man Uri ‘lds F. Senos DFO, In Awrore Jeva CGnputs Fao, ne ‘iat Balegate TALAYAAR rejects VFA aiTmac yam Tard ce ey AND SUCCESSES Pilor Project Against Traffick- ing in Women, a two-year bilat- eral project supported by the Royal Government of Belgium in coopera- tion with the Government of the Re~ public ofthe Philippines ends in Sep- tember 1998, The National Commis- sion on the Role of Filipino Women (NCREW) is the executing agency of the project while WEDPRO, a women’s NGO, served as the secre= tariat for the participating organiza- tions. Six non-governmental organ zations —Conspectus, KALAYAAN, ‘Care Foundation, WEDPRO and the | ) Legal Bureau, and onePilot Project Ends Year 2 CHALLENGES AND SUCCESSES (Continued irom page 1) deed there are task forces, councils and even large official agencies which deal with migration, or illegal migration. But migration is such a broad area that the focused needs of trafficking may be difficult to examine within such broadness, and act fon. For one, there are no comprchen- siveand reliable data fon the eatio of traf= ficking for sexual exploitation. The culled statisties are merely estimates, menting organiza- tions was the prob- lem of finding survi- vors of trafli and convinei them to become par- ticipants of the project. While traf: fickingand prostitu- tion have been ac- knowledged as a global phenom- enon, and in the Philippines, a grow- ing national con- cem, the survivors are not readily vinced that some- thing ean be done, ‘That there are orga- nizations and gov- 1, Theo Meyers, first secretary for development in the Belgian Administration for De- velopment Cooperation (BADC) left his post in August 1998. He re- tires after many years of diplomatic service, Theo, ashe was fondly called in the PNATW, was key player dur- ing the negotiations for the imple- mentation of the Pilot Project Against Trafticking in Women. He ‘was anally, a colleague and most of all, adipiomat who understood what the PNATW wanted, A sympathetic man whose long baekgrouned in de- velopment work helped enormously the Network, Mr. Meyers shall be Iss elon by Sr Tomo The PNATW ends the project with bright hopes, successfully modeling an approach and a perspective. It has not been easy, but definitely there are ernment agencies, which are focused ‘on their concerns apparently, does not eonvinee the survi- vors. After all, given the syndicated na~ ture of the trade, the risks of exposure and all the potential harm to the survi- vors cannot be taken lightly. Moreover, within the legal system, the few cases of twaflicking that had reached the court of ten tuned outas unfavorable to the sur: vivors. Irs Big Business. I's hard to crack, much less to prosecute the traf fickers and sexual exploiters. Another area, which proved to be complicated, was the fact that there is no legislation yet on trafficking. As well, government agencies have yet to create structures and mechanisms that address the particularities of sex trafficking, In- ‘successes to celebrate. which may not sharpen policy-mak- ing or inform po- licymakers as regard the nature and pos- sible solutions, Towards the middle of Year 2, the survivors began to come out. Case studies of survivors and potential victims have been written up, from which implications for policy making may be deduced. The project turnedits gaze to poen- tial victims as primary target participants There, the numbers were obvious, and numerous. The potential victims are es- pecially those women who have been bat- tered, abandoned by their partners or hhusbands, neglected andl abused by fami lies, and victimized with incest and rape. ‘The women are willing to listen to the Continued in CHALLENGES, on page 7 missed. A farewell party was hosted by NCREW Commissioner Aurora Javate de Dios at her residence on August 5, 1998, Members of the PNATW and other friends joined the event, which was capped by dancing by the staff of the BAD( Welcome, Dr. Theresa Acorn omen ATI iapublahedby WEOPR athe Propet Soretrat. ‘ie encourage short sriles on the ives of Urafeking snc prosttstion. The editor! team resonvestherghttoeditrtidesforbry. 2 Network « Vol. 2No.2/August 1998 “This publeation ts made possible withthe suport of the Beigien Aemnisration for Development Conperaton under the yl Gaverenart Figur Forinqure ord avborptons wit, oral weorao Box443 UP Shopping Centar UP Campus, Dime, Quezon iy. nail address: wedpro@ainat retSEX TRAFFICKING: THE OTHER FLOW OF THE TIDE ith the movement of women across bonders facilitated by the advancement of modern technology, traffickingin women has progressed with such impunity: Tea ficking in women and children are attended by several elements and committed under several circumstances. As previ- ined, there are theelements offre, de~ ception, trickery and enticements. These include prostitution, bonded labor, sex tourism, military sexual slavery, por- ography, sexual and domestic ser- Vituee in the guise of marriage through matchmaking services via mail, video, and magazine advertise ments and other perso alized formsofintrodu tion. The victimsof traf ficking are usually those who enter a country ille- gaily either through fake ously d passports and visas and other forms of human smuggling. And illegal entrants are the most ui nerable since they cannot cpendonany protective mechanisms to ensure their basic rights to free dom, due process and just trial. The current situation on prostitution and trafficking is re- flected in the following Een The recruitment of women to work abroad bbut who end up in broth- dls is a fact. Since the mide70s, some 30 mil- lion women have been sold to brothels world Excerpted from: “Trafficking of Filipino Women wide. A Time maga- zine article said that “such figures are at best guesses and at worst only the tip of the iceberg.” (PDI, 27 May 1996) In Japan, Filipina entertainers are merand housed by club maintainers, often Yakuza rape and brutalize them before taking tothe nightclubs.” (Ibid. citing CATW-AP) In 1981, during the temporary closure and decline of the members, who sextourism indus- try in the Philip- pines, there was an inereasein the number of Filipino women who traveled to Japan on tourist visas. From 9,100 in 1979, the figure dou- bled t0 20,512 in 1981 and reached ahigh of 7, 275 in 1986. (Angeles: 28, citing De Dios, for Prostitution: AWatter of Fact, AMatter of Flak” 1993:43) Many of these tourists became ille- gal workers and. enter- tainers Later, entertainer visas ‘were issued with relative case giving rise to pros- ‘itution and trafficking of Filipino women de- ployed abroad through official andillegal means. As of January 1992, 65.20% of total enter- ‘ainers in Japan were Fil pino women. Their rnumbers have stacy in cexeased from a low of 9,125 in 1982 to a high (0f57,038in 1991. More than 90% of these Fili- pino entertainers were young female. Many were forced to provide sexual services to bar and nightclub male custom- ers. Thus, Japan has a reputation ofhaving the biggest sex industry in (tid. 27-28) The CATW.AP said Filipino women in Japan ac- ISIS pat Gace de asset counted for more than half of the estimated 150,000 non-Japanese women who were into prostitution. (The Ma- nila: broil, 16 Febru- ary 1997) nce 1994, an interna- sex slavery syndi- also sold atleast Ghana, Senegal, Togo, and other West African countries for US$5,000 each where they Were used as sex slaves by an undetermined. number of men, even Filipinos, daily. (Today, 31. May 1995) In Hongkong, over 2,000 Filipino women are in prostitu tion houses posturing as residential flats and guesthouses. (Kan- Langan, April-June 1996: 07) To say thar sexual en. slavement is materially rewarding to women is not true. In most cases, women are often sad= ded with debss as they are made to pay for the Network + Vol. 2No. 2/ August 1998 «