PREDA Foundation:
People’s Recovery, Empowerment Development Assistance
I ran across a website that needs as much exposure as it can get. The site is http://www.preda.org/index.htm and is dedicated to helping those that have been put into slavery here in the Philippines.
You might wonder how such a thing could happen. It happens through lies. Girls are offered jobs as a nanny in a different island, often young girls at the age of 13 or 14 are offered jobs as domestic helpers in Manila. But instead, they end up Angeles City, locked away and served up to foreigners as they toys to do with as they wish.
A few manage to escape, some through their own means and others are rescued by the government. The Chief of the Bureau of Immigration is vowing to seek out those that come to this country for such activities and lock them up. He mentioned websites that encourage foreigners to visit these hot spots of which Angeles City is the most well known for this kind of activity. Jail terms can be long and hard in the Philippines.
I don’t know PREDA’s politics, and I’m not commenting regarding that, just on how children end up in these situations and hoping to reach maybe one person that thinks the girls are doing these things on their own free will. Some do but others do not.
Popularity: 14% [?]
Loading ...
I’ve been to Angeles many times and while there may be some instances where the girls are lured under false pretenses I have never encountered any who are prisioners. Many of those that happens to are recruited to work overseas.
I do agree that this is something to be looked into but many of these so called rescued girls have only been rescued from their only means to help their families.
The sad plight of the Bar Girls in the Philippines will only be truly releived by an improvement in economic opportuntiy. I am sure almost all would choose other jobs if there were other jobs to choose from.
You wouldn’t see these girls that are misled in the bars, they are not bar girls. They are kept in rooms and homes outside of the bars and the men are taken there. They don’t split the money 1000 to the girl and 800 to the bar owner. This is a different thing completely. This does happen.
Bar girls will never end, in one form or other they will always be around. However, ny time the PI wishes to use the human trafficking laws to bust what is going on in a bar they can. The way the law is written the girls don’t have to be forced they are ALWAYS victims in the eyes of the law.
If you exercise significant influence over the girl then you can be a part of human trafficking the way the law is written. The PI has the power to shut those places down if they decide to do it. I doubt it is in the RP’s interest. The only time I’ve seen these laws used is when the girls are under aged.
The feel I get is that the Philippines law enforcement tends to keep its nose out of peoples lives as long as people are old enough to consent.
I doubt the law would stand up under US law it is far to vague but this isn’t the US. Money is always influence. Age can be influence especially if the girl is under age.
Good to have you posting. Lots of readers now, not nearly enough but lots…:) Not enough posters.
I would like to state clearly I am not in favor of human trafficking of of sexual abuse of underage girls. I truly hope those who engage in such activities get what they deserve.
The only raids and rescues I have read about in the papers have been on bars and they certainly have more the appearance of a shakedown than an actual concern for the girls they rescue. In Angeles at least when they do find underage girls in these establishments it is because she has provided a false birth certificate to obtain employment.
Are all these bar owners pure as the driven snow? Certainly not, but the ones I am aquainted with to make an effort to exclude underage girls. Some of whom are sent by their own families to work in these places.
The real solution to this problem is economic opportunity. There will always be working girls and some of them will be underage no matter what you do. There would be far fewer if there were other opportunities for employment that paid higher than slave wages. (Also against the law)
I know I have the same thing. Readers but few posters. So you can drop by mine sometime too.
I keep getting a javascript error when i make comments. That could be part of your trouble too.
I am gald that you are taking the time to try and give attention to this issue. It is sorely needed. It is actually a dynamic with a couple of diferent facets. You have the Bar Girls who are soemtimes manipulated into their situations and then left withput options and this is certainly equal to any other form od bondage. Being deep in debt from the beginning and getting deeper as time goes on so that it is impossible to escape without some sort of outside assistance.
Then there are the ones that you especially mentioned, those living as “maids,” nannies,” or even as what they actually call “baby makers” which is a sort of involuntary form of surrogate motherhood for childless couples, etc.
There is also a huge problem deeply ingrained in the culture here with the system of patronage. Large landholders and business owners have people living only slightly removed from serfdom. The lucky ones have a relationship that is mutally beneficial while many others are taken advantage of in terrible ays.
Finally, you have the indoensians which is a problem here on the southern isalnds especially. While Pinoy are well known as “Overseas Workers, ” “Guestworkers,” and even as illegal migrants on the Pacific Rimthe Indoesians function much the same way within the Philippines. Most are illegals and lead veru dismal existences. The minmum wage is roughly 4.50 US daily with the Dollar as is but Indonesians are lucky to make half that, sometimes even actually enslaved in very remote areas.
Part of the issue is the lack of Immigration Controls on the southern islands. One can take the ferry directly to Indoesian islands from Mindanao and points south (as well as to Malaysia but that is besides the point). Because of the contested status on some islands like the Samas the govts. of both nations have relaxed Immigration requirements in both nations for each others’ nationals.
It is also interesting that you mentioned problems with the vague details in somme laws meant to deal with the issues presented here. For example, you stated correctly that if you are deemed to have any level of “control” over a person you can be implicated in the crimes discussed. One thing most Westerners are NOT aware of is that technically, even Internet Dating (which is so prevalent here) can be chagred as such a crime.
To my knowledge it has not happened as of yet, but I do know of so called “mail order bride” conerns that have been targetted by Law Enforcement.Pretty amazing when you think about the portion of the local economy indebted to the remittances transferrred from the West, to these firls, and to their families if and when they migrate to the West with their Western partners.
It is as always a complex issue to which there is no one correct answer. I know that underage girls are exploited in many places in the world. Efforts definately need to be made to curb this practice.
Most of the raids of this type the talk about in the paper are on bars. I have been in a number of these establishments in the past and I have talked to many of these girls.
Most are making far more than they could at a regular job especially since a number of them have no more than a grade school education. They are not captives there and almost always live elsewhere. Many travel home to visit their famalies. They provide monetary support to their families. Most would rather be doing something else. All of the ones I have spoken to have the health card which also means they showed some proof that they were over 18. When these girls are “rescued” they are put out of work and their families and they both suffer because who replaces their lost income?
In one raid that took place on a resturant in Cebu one of the girls “rescued” was there dining with her husband. Who was arrested when he tried to tell them she was not undreage. Hmmmm.
Internet dating has become quite an industry for scammers. The government seems to talk a lot about these things and pass largely unenforced laws without really addressing the root of the problem. Poverty and lack of opportunity.
Possibly some of these mail order brides are mistreated but many more find happy and productive lives and opportunities they would not have had if they had remained in the Philippines. Better they should look closely at these overseas employment companies which do in reality sell some of their applicants into slavery.
Maybe they should also close the loopholes in employment laws that allow big companies especially department stores to take advantage of their employees and cheat them out of their government mandated benifits by only hiring them for 6 months at a time.
Possibly some of the mail order bride are mistreated? Men were coming here in droves getting under age girls and taking them to the US. Not long ago it was legal.
A lot of what you said is a place an expat cannot go, so I’ll just say that the opinion of the writers on this blog are not necessarily the opinions of the management.
Once you’re living here Tom, you need to park the rebellious American side of you. Talk like the above can get you deported. Foreigners are not allowed to be critical of the government. It can get on blacklisted and deported! I just hope I haven’t already blown it!
I love the Philippines and I especially love bebots.
PS I think I know which restaurant that your talking about in Cebu. I think it was actually in Lapu Lapu? They had private rooms there where you could take the waitresses of that establishment. I’ve heard expats defend the place saying nothing was going on there. Not one of those people could possibly know what was going on in those private rooms.
I was looking forward to visiting that place. I forgot the name of it. It went down shortly after I came here.
A regular customer of the place said there were rooms there but they were not used and were full of dust and dirt. I was not there myself so I cannot say for sure but several others also made the same statement.
Since at least the early 80’s visa aplications to the US (fiance or spouse) have required official documentation showing proof of age of the petitionee. If those documents were faked it had to be with the cooperation of the girl. She also had to have a personal interview with a member of the Embassy staff. They might be taking the underage girls somewhere but I don’t think a substantial number were brought to the US unwillingly. Besides have you seen what the courts can do to you if you mistreat your wife and she divorces you?
I agree my opinions are completly my own and according to many not based on reality of any kind.
I guess I should place another disclamer here. I am not talking about underage girls who are being abused I am talking of cases I am familiar with where the supposed rescue was really no rescue at all.
I am not familar with this particular organization. I looked at the link but for some reason I couldn’t open any of their articles to read them. People do some pretty terrible things to each other.
All I am trying to say by my previous statements is that if the economic situation is improved much of these problems will go away by themselves.
I love the Philippines as well and it greatly saddens me to see the way the welfare of the people is neglected. Perhaps some of my statements are a little critical but they are easily noticable to anyone with eyes. I’m not telling secrets here.
There will always be hookers. It has been around for a long time. Bar fines, whatever. Hey I like girls as much as anyone, perhaps more than most. Filipina are wonderful it is so hard to pick just one…. I almost went with the old lays potato chip commercial there but, I didn’t. LOL
It wasn’t what you said about trafficking it was the part about telling government officials what you thought they should do.
That’s the kind of thing that can get you deported. Probably not that but it COULD so now I just stay away from that kind of thing. I’ll probably even remove the entire Philippine Politics area of the forum. There is a provision that states that foreigners cannot complain or try to influence the political process here. Doing so can get you blacklisted and deported. I personally don’t want a free trip back to the states.
You are not a tourist or foreigner in the Philippines, you can say what you like. When I left the US I left my freedom of speech behind. You will be doing the same.
I will still talk about what goes on here and the political process, I just can’t state my opinion. The Philippines has a on going war, if the US had the same issue, I can’t imagine we’d appreciate a bunch of foreigners coming into the US or any other homeland and fanning the flames.
Protesters have been deported. One article I wrote at http://www.cebuexperience.com has me concerned. It has been greatly neutered now.
I wrote an article about your freedom of speach getting checked in at the entry into the PI on this site and at http://www.rustyferguson.com.
Its a hard pill to swallow for Americans.
But swallow it we must.
Rachman,
I have seen pressure put on a very attractive 15 year old, maybe 16 year old, her birthday changed every time I asked her, was put under by her parents. I don’t think they ever said go be a hooker but they yelled when she failed to bring money home.
I worked as a Revenue Agent for several years and thus have some experience in reading and interpreting law and how it can be applied. Even one that’s been through a divorce should have some idea of how laws are twisted in novel ways. It’s what lawyers and accountants do. It is like a game, its fun, trying to set a precedent. Its how a young prosecutor makes a name for him or herself.
Anytime in the Philippines when there is a third person involved in anyway and money changes hands there is a risk of running afoul of the anti-trafficking laws. A dating site is certainly within the implications of that law, though I don’t think that was the intent. I agree it could be pursued. ANYTIME money changes hands at all, there is a chance of anti-trafficking law coming into play. Going to a bar in Angeles is certainly one of those cases.
So far, those are not the places the government has gone after. They tend to limit it to underage girls. If you piss of the wrong government official and run one of these bars is another time you could be putting yourself and your patrons in jeopardy. You could fire a girl and have the charges alleged toward you. Finally, a girl or her family could decide to extort money from you, you don’t even have to piss her off! It is dangerous waters to tread in as there are sharks out there. Might be mighty appealing waters but their are dangers.
Once again, its like the wildebeest crossing the Nile. They do it in large numbers and hope they are not the one that gets eaten.
I am not taking a position on this as to what is right or wrong. I only state would could be and hope it is of use to others.
If you’re in a bar when it gets raided, you’re going to spend the night in jail. And probably more than one night. If you’re a Kano that’s likely a strike against you right there.
How does profiling feel when your on the other side of it? That question directed at no specific person.
Well, truth be told I have never even been in such a place. Just not my thing. I also do not go to bars, and if I did it would never be in a foreign nation. Bars always have problems. In Manila (mneaning all around it as well) and Cebu City they reguarly do sweeps and one particular sweep comes to mind. In 2007 I had to go to Manila for a function at the Jewish Center (the one synagouge in the entire nation). My wife as well as my father in law came and on the day we left they were plastering the news about a raid in Makati the night before targetting tourist areas where they took everyone not actually in posession of their original passport (as opposed to photocopy) and placed them in a gymmnasium for a day and a half.
Anyone found in the company of a “Bargirl” or other professional was deported after an unhealthy stay in the Manila Immigration jail. In Thailand and in KL in Malaysia there is always a sweep like that taking place with the added joy of on the spot urine analysis.
You know, I never step foot in one until i was 24, just out of college and my first real job. I was sent to Atlanta for 8 weeks on an expense account. The group got me to try them and I found I loved them.
I liked watching the folks in a disco, can be very interesting and the Philippines is no different. What you’re saying about the bargirl’s and the sweeps is a LOT different from what I’ve been hearing from the expats, especially the forums devoted to night life. It has been a while since I’ve been on any forum other than my own and Bob’s blog. I found one other forum I enjoyed but got tossed off of that soon after setting up my own forum.
There are some risk in going to a bar of any kind, not sure what you mean.
I’ve have yet to run across any expat that has had his passport checked. Kind of amazing to see what you say is so different. I notice your use of clicks and careful choice of words and I’m pretty sure I have a general idea of your line of work so I know you have access to really good information.
I never carry my passport with me, usually don’t have a copyy. I have my card that has my passport info on it. Carrying it around with me would have it end up beat to death and likely lost. Plus, the Philippines condones the use of agents to handle your renewals and such for your passport. My agent has access to mine for a week or two every other month.
I know another guy that leaves his passport with an agent at all times, they take care of everything, I think he’s getting some bad advice. Nice guy I hope it works out for him.
I’m gong to shut this down for now, I’ll get to your other comments tomorrow. I always enjoy what you have to say.
There is another issue involving underage girls which I haven’t seen anyone touch on…the issue of being set up.
It happens here and it happens there. Unscrupulous parents can place an American in a comprimising position. And it can derive from a situation as innocent as the American giving a few pesos to a child. I think we’ve all passed around our share of peso’s to those open hands.
I saw this situation arise first hand. So we can’t confine the underage issue just to bargirls, etc.
It’s a shame that a simple act of kindness can cause such a problem, but I just wanted to add that it DOES happen.
My friend managed to avoid any legalities due the the fact that neighbors and authorities had seen the same parents attempt this scam in the past.
Just another caveat!
Concerning carrying the passport…I always had a copy of the pertinent pages stashed in my money belt.
I NEVER EVER carried my actual passport. But was never asked for any ID.
A final note: I never (hard to believe) went into an actual bar in the Philippines. I always figured,
a MS redneck has no business in a Philippine bar. At least, not this redneck! LOL
Most of the stories of extortion schemes are not true. So many false ones I have a hard time believing any of them.
Must have over looked this when you left it. You’ve been gone forever now.
Yep. A great site. Father Cullen has done a great deal for these unfortunate children. I believe he writes an article every week for the The Inquirer
Hey Joe!
Thanks for the info. I’ve meant to get by there more often but seems to never be enough time.