of prostitution & sex trafficking - zenodo

of Prostitution & Sex Trafficking

Edited by Flor Caagtlszzzi

Women's Education, Development Productivityand Research Organization, Inc. (WEDPRO)

PDF Studio - PDF Editor for Mac, Windows, Linux. For Evaluation. https://www.qoppa.com/pdfstudioPDF Studio - PDF Editor for Mac, Windows, Linux. For Evaluation. https://www.qoppa.com/pdfstudio

PDF Studio - PDF Editor for Mac, Windows, Linux. For Evaluation. https://wvvw.qoppa.com/pdfstudio

me is t in

Quezon Avenue

LOUIE C. /5\i\riiLB.»\:\C:SA


PDF Studio - PDF Editor for Mac, Windows, Li

IJa9papa6aiaIMa+ -

ako dahii 6a ' 5

Iimang faon, . i

walcmg masawxangr\ar\9\(ari ea akin.Siguro dahilr\aiir\+indihcm akoA9 na-Sa I-faa-6.Dahil ginagawako i-to para sa

aking w\9a anak.vuuuuuuum

({ ntigo 11:: aka diyan,” Janet says seriously. (I’m an

antique there.)

She stands under the bright lights of McDonald's restaurant.Short black hair frames her lightly powdered face and lips redwith lipstick. She wears no jewelry or other accessories, only an

Anne Klein watch on her left wrist. She holds a small purse anda white hankie.

Janet has been a streetwalker for five years; an antique, indeed,by Quezon Avenue‘ standards.

' Main thoroughfare connecting Manila and Quezon City.

2 HALFW/“V -l.HR0l7Gl‘l Till? ClR(.‘.l.l5 T/70 [.iVc'.~‘ 0/<9 Fl’/I;/vim) Surv/'vnr.\‘ 0/‘PI'(1s‘l‘/lllflinll :52 Star 7771/fit‘/rilw

aluation. https://www.qoppa.com/pdfstudio

NOMADIC CHILDHOOD

Janet was born April 25, 1967 in Victoria, Oriental Mindoro.People in Victoria earned their living from the land they tilled.Her parents were land tenants earning a third of whatever theyplanted: kamotc (sweet potato), okra, eggplant and othervegetables. .

When Janet was small, her father died from a bold wound. Anaccident, people told her when she was older. But it was an opensecret that her father was murdered because two men envied hisbountiful harvest that season.

Her mother continued to plant vegetables and Janet helpedher. She pulled weeds with her bare hands and, since irrigationwas a problem, fetched water from a distance.

Janet entered first grade in. Macatoc Elementary School inVictoria, Mindoro. She remembers wondering why the teachergave her an exam, then transferred her to Grade Two. Janet feltconfined in school and spent a lot of time swimming in a nearbyriver or climbing guava trees. Her mother caught her fromtime to time and beat her with a kakawate branch. Had shetaken her studies seriously, she now thinks, she would not bewhat she is today. She had always wanted to be a -lawyer becauseshe feels compassion for people, especially poor people.

Her mother remarried; the man had five children. Janet's eldeststepbrother recently died of cancer. Her eldest stepsister works ina garment factory. The third used to work in a paper factory untilshe died of an illness. Two other stepbrothers are currentlyemployed as a'bus driver and as an overseas construction driver.

The youngest stepbrother acted like a father to her. He boughther clothes, milk and some bread from time to time..l-le continuesto be Janet's favorite among her siblings.

/nnc-_r i.()\'i{ IS NOT IN QUEZON .»\\’ENUF. 3


PDF Studio - PDF Editor for Mac, Windows, Li ';

The stepfather was unkind to her. He was drinking in theneighborhood when he bragged, “Iyan .91‘Janet, pwede na iyan. ”(That Janet, she's ripe for sex.) A neighbor overheard him andalerted her mother, who then sent the eight—year—old Janet awayto relatives in Laguna.

“Makaqzanay ako noon. Ayokong umalispetopzhilit niya aka.”(I was close to my mother. I did not want to leave but she forcedme.)

During her three years in Laguna, Janet learned how to dohouse chores. When she returned to Mindoro, she stayed withanother relative. Her affection for her mother had turned coldsince she left. Home used to be peaceful before her mother'sremarriage, but when Janet reached her teens, she felt unsafebeing alone in her mother's house.

When she was 13, Janet lived with an aunt in Nueva Vizcaya.They tried to keep her in school but she preferred climbing aratiles(small red berries) trees.

Janet started earning money at the age of 16. The landlord inMindoro owned a canteen and she worked there for 12 pesos a

day. She cooked, washed the dishes, and cleaned the placediligently for five months. But when her mother and stepfatherdecided to stop working for the landlord, she had to leave herwork, too.

Her relationship with her stepfather never improved. Heprohibited her from mingling with boys. He was mad at her most

of the time and they often fought. ‘Once, he teased her aboutsome boy and insulted her. Janet tried to unsheathe his bolo fromhis waist but he gripped the blade. Janet pulled the bolo until hispalm bled. She stayed away from home for a week and onlyreturned for her mother's sake.

(valuation. https://www.qoppa.com/pdfstudio

Another time, a cousin invited her to stay over at her place.Apparently, her stepfather was displeased. When she caineélhonfie

the next day, she found her clothes all torn up. Enrage . S 3

slashed them again and threw them in her stepfathers face.It was not long before the barangay captain learned Of her

predicament. His daughter in Tondo needed a housemaid and heoffered Janet the job. She was paid P180 a month. After fourmonths, however, her mother came and took her back to Mindoro.

Janet stayed with a brother's family then later accompaniedher pregnant sister—in—law to her home in Isabela. Here Janet

found herself being serenaded almost every night. She was ngverinterested in any of the boys because she had a boylflrien in

Mindoro. One suitor was especially persistent and is merepresence infuriated her. Donato was the cousin of Ana,dJi1i1l1(ets

new—found best friend in Isabela. He followed her aroun e a

dog. I ,

“I-Iindiko alam kung iyon 3}’ /€331!-ft flaming (1313W3‘ 531”niya, ginayuma ko raw siya. Kasi gamto 1}/on. Pumunta aka noon

sa balzay ngpinsan rig best friendkong 51' Ana. Tapas, psnapasoknila ako sa kwarto. Pumasok aka. Mamaya, sumunod st Donato.Ikinulongnila kami. Wala naman nangyaripe'r0.p1I13£P111_‘3:k“'13

na may nangyari kaya ikinasal kamz. Hind: mya ako sin tan.

[yak lang ako nang iyak.” (I do not know that wllllat VV.e

both wanted. He said that I cast a spell on him. This was ow it

happened. I went to the house of the cousin of my best friend,Ana. They asked me to go inside a room. I entered. Soon, Donlatofollowed. They locked us up. Nothing happened between us ut

they insisted that something did and we had to get married. Donatodid not hurt me. I just cried and cried.)

/.,,,,., [,0V[-‘, IS NOT IN QUEZON AVENUE... 54' HALITW/\Y THRUUGII THE CIRCLE The l./Vc.s‘ nfr? Fl"/ipinn Survival)‘ of/’nmi[uti0Ii LS2 Sex 7P7://it‘kilig , .


PDF Studio - PDF Editor for Mac, Windows, Li J

FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE

At 17, Janet had to marry Donato, 18. Shehad no job; hedrove a horse rig to eke out a living. They stayedin lsabela untilJanet realized that life there was just too hard. Donato was thesole earner and his income depended on the number of passengers

in his horse rig everyday. She decided to resettle in Mindoro.Mindoro is situated in a typhoon belt. People are disheartened

after every typhoon destruction of crops and fruit trees. Duringone typhoon—Janet was some months pregnant—Donato triedto save their palay from getting soaked and ran a high fever thenext day. They had to sell whatever palay they had saved to buythe medicines he needed. And because Janet had to lift some ofthe palay sacks, she bled. The placenta came ahead of the baby.Janet was brought to the~barrio’s general hospital but because she -

had no money, it was some time before a doctor attended to her.Her first baby came out dead. .

Janet and Donato eventually had three children: Jose, who is

now 15 and a Grade Six student; Junior, 13, in Grade Four; andVilma, 9, in Grade Three.

Donato was jobless in Mindoro, so Janet asked her stepbrother’shelp. He was a driver at a construction site in Cavite and happenedto need a helper. After three months, Donato askedJanet to livewith him in Cavite and leave their children in her mother's care.

In Cavite, Janet took care of Donato, cooking and washing hisclothes. But after he left for work, she had nothing else to do.She found work in the canteen of the construction site where-Donato was employed. Aside from relieving her boredom, thejob brought extra income and free meals for them. But Donatobecame jealous and suspicious, accusing her of having relations

6 HAl.F\\'/\Y Tl-lROL"(-'l'l THE ClR(.TLE The Liv:-x 0/'8 Filipino Survivors nf Prostitution (S1 Sex 77:1fficIcing

§1EvaIuation. https://www.qoppa.com/pdfstudio

with other men working in the construction site. He followedher everywhere during work hours, even to the toilet.

Janet decided to change jobs. She transferred to another canteenadjacent to the construction site. The pay was much lower, onlyhalf of her previous monthly salary of PZ,O0O. To make thingseven harder, Donato decided to change his job, too.

Janet went home to Mindoro when two of her children gotthe measles. She returned to Cavite to ask Donato for money.Donato, however, would not let her go back to Mindoro andinsisted that the money be sent by telegraph. Janet left for Mindoroin spite of Donato’s‘objections.

Later, she learned that Donato ran amok the following night,blaming her for neglecting him. Their situation worsened. Janetdecided to ask for a separation. She asked him to choose whomhe wanted among their children. But he told her, “Dabilginustomo ito, balzala kang bubayin sila." (You wanted this to happen,it’s up to you to sustain them.) She fetorted, “Kabit sa Izirap 0

ginbawa, kumapit man alto sa patalim, b11na'1' ako Iubinging tulongsa iyo!” (For better or for worse, however desperate I may be, Iwill never ask for your help.) .

Janet moved in with a relative. One night, she went back to

their place to get some things. She found Donato drunk. Hewanted a reconciliation but she stood her ground. This encounterended with Donato beating her up.

The pain that Janet felt that night would never leave her. Itwent through her soul. Her employer, the canteen owner, learnedabout what happened and advised Janet to look for another job.

Donato followed her when she went back to Mindoro butJanet’s decision was made: she wanted a separation. She knewthat she was pregnant at the time but hid this from Donato. She

/anet LOV IS NOT IN QUEZON AVENUE 7


PDF Studio - PDF Editor for Mac, Windows, Li “

had made up her mind to give the child for adoption. The couplewho adopted the boy gave her P2,000 and arranged to make theadoption legal.

UNMARRIED WOMAN

Janet moved in with her sister—in—law in Sauyo, Novalicheswho accepted boarders. Saddled with three children she had tosupport at 25, Janet was desperate to find work.

On one of her job—hunting expeditions, she found herselfstranded in Cubao, Quezon City without fare to go home. Janetwas standing along one side of the Farmer's Plaza wondering whatto do when a stranger approached and asked her to hold hisumbrella for him. She thought nothing of it. When he came

back, they talked for a while. Desperate, Janet told the man she

needed some money to go home. He asked her if she wanted to

“go for a gimmick”.Gimilc?

Gimi./(. Para. Kostumezz Pasok sa kotse. Bugaw. (Gimmick.\. Money. Customer. Get in a car. Pimp.)

He explained the whole idea of being a streetwalker:You stand on the street—a man drives up and asks “Howmuch?”—you name the price—then you go with him for sex.

Janet was revolted. And yet, “Magulo ang {st}: [(0. H7313

alcongpera, wala alcong trababo. BagongIziwalay ako sa asawa.”

(My mind was in a mess. I had no money, I did not have a job.I had just separated from my husband.)

On the first night, she earned a thousand pesos. She was

thrilled with the money. She realized how easy it was to earn

money on Quezon Avenue. But on hindsight, she felt ashamed.

8 HA“-1-i“\Vt\Y Tl‘iRUUGH THE (JlRCl.l:' The Lives 0/8 FY/Ipina Survivors nfl’rostitutI'a.n «S: Sex 7i:1fl5'cki:1g

j Evaluation. https://www.qoppa.com/pdfstudio

She was already working as a streetwalker when a new boardernamed Lina came to live in her sister—in—law’s place. Lina was a

tomboy. She and Janet found themselves getting along very welland soon had a relationship. But they had to leave her sister—in—

law’s place to avoid scandalizing the other boarders.For Janet, Lina was heaven—sent. “Sinalo niya ako sa

J pagbibirap." (She saved me from hardship.) She discovered thati a lesbian is more loving, more caring than a man. Lina did notallow her to sleep on an empty stomach. She never experiencedthe same affection in her unhappy marriage. “Kalzit na kami aymay tatlong anak, naanglcin Iamang niya ang alcing lcatawafl.pem and isip [(0 at puso ko ay bindi niya naanglcin 1ca1'Ianman.”

(Even if we had three children, he could only claim my body,but never my mind and my heart.)

Janet says she has always perceived herself as a tomboy, even as

a young girl. She remembers having crushes on some of her girlfriends when she was an adolescent. Her manner, speech anddressing could be described as boyish. She even sported her hairin the siete style. When she had her first boyfriend, at 16, she

outgrew the tomboy inside.

LOVE AND A GOLD NECKLACE

Janet loved Lina, so she heeded her advice. She stopped workingin Quezon Avenue. “Gusto Icong magbagong bubayt" (1 Wanted to

live a new life). Lina was working at a printing factory then. The jobrequirements were not so strict, so it was easy for Janet to join Linathere. The place was well—lit and well—ventilated. Except for thestrong odor ofpaste and ink and the noise ofbig machines, the placewas good enough for Janet.

Janet LOVE IS NOT IN QUEZON AVENUE 9


PDF Studio — PDF Editor for Mac, Windows, Li .‘

The work was easy, too. It involved folding a product’s insertand pasting packaging boxes of soap and other cosmetics. Butbecause the workers were paid based on the volume of work theywere able to finish, fights would often break out over workmaterials.

This was why, after a year, Janet decided to leave her job.There was one woman co—worker she had a fight with, whomLina kept engaging in affectionate talk despite Janet’s warnings.This embarrassed Janet and when they got home, they wouldfight. Their fights came more often. Janet decided to stop workingand asked Lina to do the same.

Lina assumed the role of family head in their relationship. Sheasked Janet to stay home while she looked for a new job. Shefound one in a factory that made décor and ornaments made ofcapiz shells. The job paid two hundred pesos a week, which was

hardly enough to pay their mounting debts.Janet decided to go back to Quezon Avenue. She felt she had

to do something to augment their income, to pay off their debtsand, more importantly, to satisfy Lina’s penchant for good food,wine, cigarettes and gambling money.

There were times when Janet preferred to stay home. But Linawould find a reason to fight, and so Janet would go to QuezonAvenue just to avoid fighting with her. At other times, Linawould remind her: “Sana pumasok Ira para may pambayad tayong utang bukas.” (I wish you’d go to work so we can have moneyto pay our debts tomorrow.)

Whenever Lina was drunk, she found excuses for them to fight.Lina would punch and slap her. Janet didn’t feel violated because

she usually fought back, grabbing a chair or anything to hurl at

Lina.

10 HALFWAY THROUGH THE CIRCLE 7713 Lives oft? F'i/1:0/'/in Surviwirs of/’rosri(ut/‘on <52 Sex 77':I/ficK'itu,r

evaluation. https://www.qoppa.com/pdfstudio

janet continued working along Quezon AV€I1U€~ She We“

worked seven days a week, earning an average of P700 a night.Janet started buying appliances for the house: karaoke, coloredtelevision, electric fan, flat iron. Their cupboard looked like a

minbigrocery. She also bought five types of sandwich spread inthe biggest size available. Her children were able to go to school.And she gave Lina a gold necklace.

ANOTHER SPLIT, ANOTHER LOVE

When summer came in 1996, Janet’s children asked if theycould spend their vacation with their father in Isabela. Theywanted to see their birthplace. Janet allowed the two boys to go,

her daughter Vilma remained with her.June came. Janet's mother—in—law decided not to send the boys

back. After five years of nonasupport, lane‘ felt "e11°"°d_that herhusband was now willing to spend for her sons’ education. Shehad never asked anything from her husband all this time, not a

single centavo. _ '

Janet visited them once in Isabela and found Donato livingwith another woman. She was not angry at all; in fact, she feltlike a real sport. _ _ _

Back in Novaliches, Janet continued her relationship withLina. One day, while fixing Lina’s clothes, Janet discovered a set

of unfamiliar female clothing. When confrontedabout It. 1-1113

explained that it belonged to a cousin who left it with her forsafekeeping. Janet grew suspicious when Lina started going more

often to the house of her manang(ll0CanO term Of address f°1' 3“

older sister or an older woman) in Parafiaque. Janet felt that 1-1113

made her look stupid.

junk’! LOVE is N()'l‘ lN QUE’/.()N AVENUI-I 11


12 HAL}-'\\’.'\Y ’l'HR()l‘(‘H TH!‘ cm . .

-' ' 2 LLI; A .7716 Lu is at‘ 8 I-i/I/mm 5'1/ri'i’m;-5 U/' /

PDF Studio - PDF Editor for Mac, Windows, LinuWhen she discovered more unf '1' '

cloth . h fu » am! at amcles am°n8 I-ina’s.....;:.:...:.. .";°.°.‘;.1:;.‘:;.::“;::::.:.‘?° andcame home that night, Janet ress d ding ee te . en LinaNot content with that Janet 1:0 ke egreasy rags to her face.

. v hair and stm k L‘retaliated by punching her undeftha c.b C ina whoPam V“ , ° "1 5- Janet doubled over inhelp. ma ran to Janets kumare (godmother of ongis Child) for

Lina fin3“Y left Janet on Vil ’ b‘her in th d d ~ mas “'thdaY- She claimed that

Janet felt hurt. But before lea ' L‘ ma wme er own"

her some cl th . cl vmg’ -ma requested Janet to buyhundred pes:s—e:llu(r’if‘c:,r1:ii/Eiairjxilt tdoiiéetry, and to give her five

A in th aft L‘ i . .on er ina left, Janet saw a familiar gold necklace

Onélanevs thirtieth birthday, she had a drinking part . h

s°"‘° ‘ends and met Lyn When th V W“}anet,s friends decided ms -. . e party broke up, some ofpend the night at her 1 Shto sleep ov t L » . , P ace‘ e arrangedLyn is aegis V11 s. A new relationship formed overnight,

euse. Janet and her daughter Vilma have since

above the dining—cum—living room area,

‘Ii4Yn has proven to be different from Lina. She is p t. dun e1-standing and h . , a ient an

as not laid a finger on her. These days, janet

> . r r - . .rzisnti/I/an 6: .5e,\' Tnifl’i'c.('iiig

r Evaluation. https://www.qoppa.com/pdfstudio

spends more time at home with Lyn. Sometimes, she goes

with Lyn to her workplace. Despite Lyn’s diligent efforts to

earn money, however, life remains unkind. Lyn sometimesearns P200, which lasts only four days. Sometimes the moneyhas to be stretched for the whole week.

Now and then, Janet asks Lyn to let her go back to QuezonAvenue. Lyn wouldn't hear of it. Recently, Lyn relented but not

without a fight. She remained silent as Janet prepared to go.When Janet got home, Lyn was drunk. They had an argument.Janet was about to go back to Q.A. when Lyn suddenly stabbedherself in the right forearm. The money she earned was used forLyn’s treatment and medicines.

FROM HERE TO TOMORROW

Despite harsh city life, Janet has no plans of going back to

Victoria. She finds it easier to live in Sauyo even if it’s a squattercommunity. She spends her leisure time in her kumare’s place,talking and exchanging news or watching TV, if she's not doingthe laundry or sleeping. Whenever she has to leave for Q.A., herkumare looks after Vilma. She has told her kurnare everything-about Lina, Lyn, her family, her stepsibl ings... except what she

does for a living.There have been plans to demolish Sauyo and the residents

have banded together to fight. Janet would have been the auditorof their organization but she refused because she thinks she is

quite slow with numbers. She has never been good withorganizations. She joined one before, called the Haligi FosterParent Organization, where she was chosen because ofher beinga single parent. She dropped out of the program since she could

jmiel l..()\/'11 IS NOT IN Ql..‘liZON A\/'F,NUIi 13


I-’DF Studio - PDF |:di’[Or Tor Mac, Windows, Lin ,0

hardly attend meetings usuall ' -

. y com hafter a night’s work. mg ome “red and Sleepy

J‘<11-‘let feels unhappy about her work, saying that it’s di Shis aware that prostitution is not accepted in socie —n h e

famih’: not in the community where she lives not telven gututheer. 1 re‘Ian Quezon Avenue. Yet she has mixed feelings. She is happy

thinks she I: 1:1 Be era thief or a criminal. She does what she. Us . ut it is not something her children could be

proud of in school. It is not something to flaunt in her communjThis is what streetwalking on Quezon Avenue is like. workigy.

h . . ' gours are from 9.00 to 3.00 a.m. She charges P500 for one

to three hours service, depending on her agreement 'thcustomer. For overnight service, she charges P1 500 A bl: ' 2costs from two hundred to three hundr d ’ . W10

peak or lean days. 6 pesos. There are no

, Janet worked with a pimp for three years before deciding to goh . -

on er °_wn_ Beffma she agrees to 20 With a man, she looks forPeT5°na11tY Slgns in the man’s face and in his tone of voice WhileI -d , U\ e the customers car, Janet refuses to be touched anywhere,This is because she prefers to take a bath before and after every

al . 2 .

- Sh e ee 0 semen inside her body is revolting.She he refuses sex, even for a thousand pesos. It is painful,bod as no restrictions on being touched anywhere on her

I Y 35 long as the sexual act ends as soon as possible. Janet's

;“a;:5: 511181; found. Sometimes the customer threatens toer or ring her to jail if she refuses another reund_

Janet admits she is carzlfiosa (affectionate) with hercustomers. Most of them engage her services just to pass the

14 HA! FWAY THROL‘ ' - ~

- . :(:l‘l THE ClRCl.E 777 ‘ ~ - - » » , _6 L: was of8 Filipino Surw Vors ofProsllmz/an & Sex TmI7‘c/c.-"rig

J Izvaluation. https://www.qoppa.com/pdtstudIo

time. Sometimes they also share their drugs with her and, for a

time, she became a user. She prefers Filipino customers becausethey are gallant and kind. She dislikes rough and sadistic customers.

There’s one sexual experience she hates to remember. Aforeigner demanded three hours of service. Janet was five monthspregnant. After an hour, she refused to have sex with him again.He punched her thigh and started to strangle her when "she

continued to refuse. She escaped the harrowing experience whenher companion rang for her. She pitied herself after that. Sheknew it would not have happened if it was not her work.

Still, she feels thankful that it only happened once.

“Nagpapasalamat ako dabil sa Iimang taon, Walang masamangnangyari sa alah. Siguro dabil naiintindiizan ako ng nasa Itaas.Dabil ginagawa Ico ito para sa aking mga analc.” (I am thankfulbecause in five years, nothing bad has happened to me. Maybebecause Someone up there understands me. Because I am doingthis for my children.) She knows it could have been worse. Sheknows of a streetwalker’s corpse that was found inside a sack,chopped to pieces. In another instance, two women were promiseda job at a stag party but were raped instead by a dozen men.

Being Catholic, she sincerely believes God understands whatshe does. Once she converted to the Iglesia ni Kristo. But because

she could hardly keep up with the rules and the penalties, she

went back to Catholicism. She makes it a point to hear mass

whenever she can. Sometimes she hears mass in Baclaran. Othertimes, in Grotto, Novaliches; or at the Quiapo church, on Fridays.

Janet’s plans are uncertain. One thing she is sure of is that shewants to get a decent and socially acceptable job. She thought ofworking as a domestic help in Hongkong. But when friends toldher that Hongkong was going to become part of China and was

janet LOVE is NOT IN QUEZON AVF.NUE 15


|-’L)|- Studio - |-’L)|- |:dit0r Tor Mac, Windows, Lin Izvaluatlon. https://www.qoppa.Com/pdtstudio

turning communist, Janet changed her mind. She and Lyn haveapplied at t.he Pharaoh Recruitment Agency for placements inAbu Dhabi, U.A.E. '

She has no idea about the place but she has heard that AbuDhabi has an open culture where one can do as one pleases.

Women, for" instance, can wear shorts and drink wine. ‘

She is not afraid of landing in prostitution. The prospect ofbeing trafficked, she thinks, depends on the employer one gets.

She thinks she would not be unfortunate enough to get a traffickerfor an employer. “Swertehan Iang iyan [rung mabait arzgmagzjgzhg

amo mo.” (It’s a matter of luck, having a good employer.)Lyn plans to go ahead of her. In fact, she is already scheduled

for a pre—departure orientation seminar. If everything turns outwell for Lyn, ]anet will follow her to Abu Dhabi as soon as she

gets her working.visa from the recruitment agency.

A year from now, Janet wants to be totally independent ofQ.A., to quit working as a streetwalker. By her own estimate, herdreams may be fulfilled three to five years from now. She plans to

buy a lot in Manila and another in the province for her two sons,

and to set up a grocery store for Vilma. In the future, she plans to

settle in Manila, the big city where a lot of opportunities await.One needs only to be industrious, says ]anet.

White Slaveryin Manila 3 man

ANDREA C. ANOLIN

16 l-l/\l.FWAY Tl'lR(.)U('_}l*l THE (.'lR(Tl.l3 The Lives o/<9 Fl‘/Izninu Survivors ofI’ms(itulion & Sex 77:II97c/ting


|-’D|- Studio — I-’D|' |:dItOI' for Mac, Windows, Lin '

Mung Kaqa KongDu-:»u+cm so

i-sang gabi no 1

hindi aka 1 ---------------------------------------- -t

ma Qlqu)‘ “‘~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~..

Slélkapln Ko '\{an_ ‘ ““-“'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~—~

fi.y1;lna laughs easily. Her cheerful disposition petiteme and short—cr d h ' mak ’

A ll\‘yli:1l'1e1- earlY 20s. oppe an e her appear to“"3 V.s ewasb ' 1965 d -

interview. Her youthfi1l)cl‘b1ulrl1tenancea:1ho‘v‘v&le:3r12CJ:;t~,1:}:°otf1$: sf (:5xslavery she experienced away fr h h - -

island Province of Cebu. om er ometown Tahsay’ m the

CHILI) AT THE WINDOW

Myrna’s father worked as a wheeler in a ship and brought in_ :2: SE3: fzmllys income. Being head of the family, he made

cookin :1 cfizisiorfrs. Her mother augmented his income by

g an Se mg °°d‘ A5 a Chlldv MYFna helped her mother18 HAM-“v\’AY THROL:(;H THE t:mc1F 772 L‘ . . . . ,

‘ °' """~" "I '9 Fl/'P-‘rm Surwvms nfPmsri1ut1'on & Sex 7;;;f}ic/(,’,,g

‘valuation. https://www.qoppa.com/pdtstudio

by delivering the food to the market. Sometimes she would sell itelsewhere at a slightly higher price. Then she gave her motherthe expected amount and kept the extra to herself. Even at an

early age she already had some business sense. i

Myrna had two sisters and two brothers. She was the thirdfrom the eldest. Her childhood was routine: school, church, home.She preferred to be alone and listen to music. But she also enjoyedparticipating in oratorical contests and church activities. Thoughan average student, she liked helping her teachers and fellowstudents. For being the most cooperative student in school she

received a medal. Myrna and her siblings finished elementaryeducation in a public school. Her parents transferred them to a

private school for their secondary level.But Myrna entered high school a bit late, at 15. After Myma’s

grade school, her aunt took her to Manila. She wanted Myrna tostudy in Manila as a favor to her father for having helped sendher own children to school. The plan didn't push through; herfather and aunt had a falling—out due to a land dispute.

What Myrna still remembers most vividly from her childhoodwas her father’s strictness towards her alone. He allowed the otherchildren to go out with their friends, but not Myrna. She was

forced to keep a predictable schedule since he did not allow herto stray from her routine. Although her father wasn't alwaysaround, she did not dare go against his wishes. But sometimes hecaught her disobeying and punished her by making her kneel on

the floor covered with mongo seeds. She did not understand herfather’s treatment. Sometimes he rationalized his actions by saying,

“Aka nga, Iralalald Icong tao, pag umuwi nasa Ioob ng balmy,tapas ikau; babae [(2, 113.93 Iabas ang mukba mo.” (Even me, man

that I am, when I get home, I stay inside the house; yet you, a

M}/ma wnms SLAVF.RY IN MANILA S1 JAPAN 19


20 HA! FWAY TH ~ -

- ‘ ROUCTH THE Cl 7 .‘ - . .. . _

’ RL HA‘ 77"’ L""°'*‘ "[8 F’/1.01170 Slrwvms afPmst1'tun'un & Sex 7}

I-’D|' Studio — I-’L)|‘ I:ditor Tor Mac, Windows, Linu V

girl, still have your face outside.) Myrna envied her brothers andsisters. There were times she would wistfully look out the wind

. _ owat ;he children playing freely on the Sn-eet5_

ten:l1eC:rltt:’as}t), her mither was very flexible with her. Even as she

res Onsibilif °rB°°°h1nE. she never neglected her familyso Igecame hit: lcllt :1 e usually kept her problems to herself, andf. ea e at times. She was very protective-—no child

0 hers could be upended by others. Wlien that happened she

k ‘ . ’too it upon herself to take revenge, even going to an albulazyo

(f°1k healer) to put a curse on her children's enemiesMyrna attributes her rebellious nature to her overly strict

”1:’bTin8ing- She grew up cloistered and unaware of the things1:e:th‘:::: T-800111? On an th: bigger world. But she couldn’t find it in

him if onl if [cm katth °'.f““h°" 51”’ V” “"““‘3 ‘° “ndemndher father He: oh h ethlme to explain. still’ Myrna respects

’ _ ' _ 3113 t er e Value ofprudence and of sticking toone s principles.

DEATH AND UNCERTAINTY

WhShe beer;Il\/ltyxnakrelaichefi her teens, she yearned to explore life,

what la: ahezdl.-e e in [me ways. But she W351“ Prepared {Of

In her mid—teens, she began to have problems with her familyd ' - »:IC:th5il;egn2:tT;_1i:sT:E:lI:1}e1 at a frlilends plice. Here she met Jun. It was

u er pro ems at ome made her stay awa for1, . . Ytaingutthaa Sh: slpent a lot of time with Jun. They grew close

but Jun I e 0:1 erself bed with him. She was reluctantp essure er into giving herself up to him. At first, she

affick/hg

or Izvaluation. https://www.qoppa.com/pdtstudio

resisted his advances but she couldn’t muster enough strength toward him off.

Afterwards, Myrna felt afraid to go back home because herfather had threatened to beat her up. She knew that his wordswere not to be taken lightly. By that time, however, he alreadyhad cancer and no longer had the strength to carry out his threat.He spoke to Jun, who promised to marry her, probably out of fear.

Looking back, Myrna realizes how naive she was in believing]un’s promise of marriage. He saw her father’s worsening conditionand when he died, ]un’s promise to Myrna went with him.

At 17 and with her father gone, Myrna’s world collapsed. Itwas he who had kept their family together. Myrna had a difficulttime coping with her father's death. Although it meant herfreedom, it also foreboded an uncertain future. In her confusionMyrna turned to friends and vices.

She was in third year high school then, but she dropped out.And, asif her troubles weren’t enough.. .

It was just another one of those nights with her friends. Theywent to ]un’s house. He was drinking with other fellows. Myrnawas already into alcohol and didn't mind joining them. Someonesneaked drugs into her drink. As the night wore on, she began to

feel weak and sleepy. Her body went limp. She was vaguelyconscious when ]un’s friends started taking turns with her. Shewanted them to stop but her mind couldn’t will her body to doanything. ]un’s friends got what they wanted and she felt like a

battered rag doll. He did not take part in their gang rape butneither did he stop them. For this, Myrna hated him all themore.

This incident pushed her deeper into a world that as a childshe never knew existed. She became friends with the misfits and

Myrna wnms SLAVERY IN MANILA si JAPAN Z 1


I-’L)|' Studio - I-’L)|' |:d|’[Ol' TO!‘ Mac, VV|ndOWS, Lln 4:

ogthe °°“C‘i“c‘l‘_’nitY- EV°mU31lY she became one of them.commufiut I335 an . ll(SCO became her regular fare. People in herk “ Y ere quic to judge her because of the company sheflept. Saan na naman kayo nanglzalal” (Where have you been

. . . , _b “T1118 again-) they often called out to her group as they passed

Y. Myrna became a stranger to her family and even to herself

ENTRAPPED IN THE BROTHEL SYSTEM

turned in M o dedrs’ ouse for about a year. But, as things

Ana was the aclma clldn t l-rreauy get 0 know Ana we“ °n°“gh'from her revio°P;¢ aug ter of an ‘illegal recruiter who got herAna fowl; ut;a0Sl:er parents, a childless old couple. Somehow,

when Azut ff t der real mother was a prostitute.. a o ere Myrna a chance to work in Manila, she

lumped at the °PP°““mtY- MYI1a felt confident she could handlwhatever job awaited her. It would not be her first She h S,

k - ' aEEC before as a restaurant waitress and as storekeeper in a

But since Myrna had lived a sheltered ' t fpart, she had no inkling of what lay aheadeilrcilslx/fal1rl:ila.oIl:I:lrnfat1rrl1(iJf3l

d - .sgelme to have foreseen things, though; they dld not allow hereave. Yet her mind was made up.

Only a week after Ana recruited the group of seven women

btlgfy (including Ana) sailed for Manila. Myrna didn't bring any

..::g;.“s.S;.:°,:wms to know .1... W.M 8 er trip. When she left her house that morning,yma wore two layers of clothing. That was all she had i

r Izvaluation. https://www.qoppa.com/pdistudio

The ship arrived in Manila in the afternoon. Excitement was

etched on their faces as the ship docked. Not everyone backhome had the chance to work in Manila and yet here they were!

Their excitement was short—lived. As night fell and they nearedtheir destination, they grew afraid. They were brought to a bar-club—casa—a house of white slavery. Foreigners were the club’sclientele; Filipino customers were, not allowed. Women dancedwhile the customers drank and watched. Further inside were doorsleading to small rooms. These were for the customers and thewomen they paid for. Among the rooms was a separate one fondlycalled “special room” by those who worked in the club. It took a

while for Myrna to learn about the goings—on in that club.Myrna wanted to ask her friend Ana about it but she was

evasive. One day, Ana was nowhere to be found. Myrna had no

idea what happened to her friend. Later, she heard that Ana hadbecome the kept woman of one of the boss’ policeman friends.

During her first few days in the club, Myrna did nothing butcry. She asked the boss to let her return to Cebu but he said no,saying he had already paid for her. Only then did Myrna realizethat Ana.had actually sold her.

The establishment was owned by a Filipino named Rolly, a

shady character who was well connected with local officials andpolice in the area. He had a string of women, some of themformerly from the club. He used them to finance his vices,especially drugs. He had a mistress in Japan who regularly sent

him money.A few days after her first month in the place, Rolly told Myrna

that she had to get used to going out with customers and watchinglive shows with them. Myrna tried hard to get away. Once or

twice she tried to escape but got caught. Rolly beat her up. One

22 HA1 FWAY THROUCH« . .~ THE CIRCLE 771:-L/Va-sof6’Fi/i ~ ~

pmo S fp - - .

"mm 0 mmmm" & 5” T’WC/‘’”‘’ Myma WHITE SLAVERY IN MANILA & JAPAN 23


I-’L)|' Studio - I-’L)|' |:d|tOr TO!‘ Mac, VV|nClOWS, ‘:.,__

woman managed to escape. She went to the police but, to hersurprise, they only returned her to the club. She was severelybeaten as punishment. Myrna had nowhere to go and didn’t knowanybody in Manila. Eventually, she had to give in.

One of the unspoken rules in the _club was that newcomers

had first to pass through the owner before they started “working”.This rule was not imposed on everybody, but only on those whomRolly found attractive and those he knew had not been involvedin the flesh trade. Unfortunately, Myrna belonged to bothcategories.

Myrna was surprised to find her boss waiting for her in a room.

She thought that a customer was taking her out and that theywere both waiting. Rolly started to take drugs then enticed Myrna

_ to have some herself. When the drugs took effect, he forced himselfon her. Once more, Myrna found herself in a situation where herwhole being cried out NO! but her body was too weak and wastedto fight him off.

Myrna exclaims, “Nababoy talaga ako sa Iranya.” (I was treatedlike a pig!)

She became the boss’ mistress, much to the consternation ofthe other women in the club who had once been in her position.Now they envied her.

Customers regularly took out Myrna. Her so—called “salary"was 30 percent of the bar fine. The rest of the money went to

Rolly, supposedly as payment for her board and lodging. She didn’tget any commission from the drinks either. When customers gave

her money, she kept it from the boss, otherwise he would witholdher share of the bar fine.

It seemed to Myrna that she never got out of debt despite themoney she was making for Rolly. When any of the women asked

24 HALFWAY THROUGH THE CIRCLE ' The Lives 0/6’ Filipino Survivors ofProsr1’tution (Sr Sex Trafi’/‘cldng

OF Izvaluatlon. https://www.qoppa.com/pdistudlo. - ' I owed

. 11 d, h would just say she stil

lllm llfw muclarihltensetvlz tlcrzlteshe :arned a lot for the club, he’dkn‘ a wom . . d to thereason 0”‘ that he pald a blgger amoullt for herl:<l)Icn'l~pl1’f:xclaims

“721dtadnaaI1g1<3‘3W3n mo, srlapaang I 13- . ,

Others. Y bod ’s all chopped up, they are the ones who profit.)Myrpnha. ( our n ezmed more from live shows, Myrna discloses.e

B t itetdgkniime for her to get into it. “Dalawa na 12g? 1333 kayo“ , _ - v noorinsa kuwano bind: ko na mastlmiuta, ‘ya:-i pa kayang Pi’: room

a» 1d barely stomach being with one stranger 1 oks; (I cou ith people watching ) Despite her resistance, shew at more w ' ,

, - (1-1 h man at

the time, she Pe1’f°““°d we S}—‘o“ll on Y W1 cl with the help of a

After Six months’ Myrna fma yl elicllglf both ended up in a

woman who once belonged to the C u . f cg ‘ the new Placesituation similar to the one thfY h3_d 1° t‘ 1:“ mlf “No choiceshe was free, at least. She rationalized to erse , ‘ ” (I, e-

. - ' ’ on. Vtutal narzggalmg na rm niaman ako 58 lmP1Yem°"g '7bet:/1 to that hill ::)3;Ve"::;W Whenever she got some money, she

arri -

esdrhl:/E from work until it ran out. The other women urgedlfayto worlz regularly and save the money she earned. But Myrna

filly wanted to earn enough to sustain her daily needs. She thought0 .

. d, h was noof trying out other jobs but 1f(elt ashamed. In her mm s e

e mg . - th otherw°“1d Support’ Thls was a cqmmofl pr1aCttl::eaa\:Inoc::11En tlrien he

women. Myrna behaves that If a manf (fl: situation ihstead ofwould do everythmg to get her ml“ 0' e ith other men. Butliving Off the money she makes 5 e-epf-ng wf work loneliness isMyrna also understands that In the“ me ° '

Myma wmrr Si..t\V[-'.R\" IN MANILA & JAPAN 25


I-’L)|' Studio — I-’L)|‘ I:ditor TO!‘ Mac, Windows, Linu

4 '~

l‘ %J/[Nl.

|‘ 1

26 iiAi.F\VA\’”I'HRoL

their greatest enem . “I-[in ‘ . . .

3'18’ m-9g—1'Sa.” (It’s hhrd notdt'Iokf:ay:ea:fr1:mn.1aIIt€ llraalradafolbanjlj kayaMyrna devised ways to avoid being touched b s e tfxii)

men who took her out. “ unglraya /(ong Iusutan sy ' ome ob. e

bimfl aka magalam 5i5’7‘3Pi11 150 :V3I1." (I would da lsmzgtlia Inaget through the night without being touched_) 0 aI1Y mg to

JAPAN IS NO DISNEYLAND

On d , M . .

.....;. ..::.‘:;:‘::.:r:s‘:';;”*‘° tom she_ 0 eac ance.Accom an‘ db

herfne d, h d" - . P 1° Y

onlY to findsofitihalttlznefl at the Mémla Metropohtan Theater»money Having none Street to [Lass rtilshe had to shell out bribe' 1 saw '

vanish into thin air. er C ances of gmng t° Japan

Unkn ' - .

she auditl)c:1:d<;rIldyw::’i::,:Cq::uI1_;aI.1ce Zga fglefid saw her when. CS5 . 6 int!‘

promoter, Suzuki, who immediately took ffecr in cl-r'lol¢‘:1s»gat:Pl1a:11r(fse

week, M ’ ' , , 3whether t}1’1l‘:21lD:stsravr<:l documents were ready. She isn t sure now

d . Po genmne °1' not: though her real namean lgicture were on it. She signed a contract stating that shewo b ' . . .

A aw C1:;:°1':<t:1r8 receptftfomst m a bar for US$350 a month.excited women. ’ was ° ‘C’ Japan, along with seven other

Bef th .Mym::ld j:’eW;::nmadfe to start work in the club. Suzuki treated

a dream come true. en or two days at Tokyo Disneyland. It was

f Myrna found that the club was not much different from theirst h - . .

*“ Mmmers too e women out for a fee. Myrna didn’t

‘(EH THE CIRCLE 7'/ L . f . . . .

76 "'6" " 8 F’/lP”7U Survrmns nfPro.s‘ti(utian «Sr Sex Tmfi-1‘ck,'ng

pr Izvaluation. https://www.qoppa.com/pdtstudio

want any of this. She told her boss that she didn’t want to dowhat she was being asked. He was surprised.

Nevertheless, Myrna caught the eye of the club owner. He didnot allow her to work in the club but instead took her home to

be his kept woman. Myrna ended up as a sex slave, as he constantlyforced himself on her. The first time, he pinned her down bypressing his knees on her thighs. “Ganoon talaga siguro angmgaIalakipagpuwerzsalzan.” (Maybe that’s how men really are whenthey use force.) She was in this situation for a month or so.

Myrna found herself pregnant but wasn’t sure whether it startedwhen she was still in the Philippines or got pregnant by her boss.

She never had a chance to find out. He had her brought to a

hospital supposedly for a check—up. When she regainedconsciousness, her pregnancy had been aborted.

She confronted the boss. He told her that he had to order theabortion because pregnant women were not allowed to work inthe club. This only angered Myrna more. She asked him to lether go home but he refused, saying she had only been in Japanfor a little more than a month and that she had yet to pay theamount he spent to buy her from the promoter.

After the abortion, Myrna constantly fought with the boss.

Once she even threw an ashtray which almost hit him. Thingsbecame unbearable for him, so he released her from his houseand allowed her to work in the club. Myrna met a young Japanese

who became attracted to her. He offered to pay for her release

and planned to marry her. The boss and the promoter turneddown his offer. Fromthen on, every time the Japanese asked forher, they would say she was already reserved. He wasn’t allowedto go near her again.

M;/ma \.VHl'l‘E Si.A\"I-LRY IN MANILA Si JAPAN


PDF Studio - PDF Editor for Mac, Windows, Linuy

MY1T1a had a customer who made h d * -

1d ak h ,, °‘' ° things in bed thatyigidlzgabzn E1::l[i{row up. MaYP3g1<a—baboypagdat1hg 53 sex,

when it came to Sexwl’-5 ‘mo 3l'c1l£’éf3§3Wm [(0. (He was like a pig

She became dime 1 e we?“ d-mate what I had t° d°')to constantly pick figl1h:st‘<;i;1aIthv\eIitl:)l;i);fter srinlile time. She began

he;:fm§fen_ed to another club. , unti e decided to have

' is time it was a pubho s ' Ibarak'bigger than the previous club] aenldlwith mcl;r::“<,:(l)a?solfc:tfir1(r)'IuI1l Tikyolan ' b . 2 g S OWS

fie§‘\,l1<:ietedaf‘he pl:I<:.nese whlte'°°u3T Workers and businessmenM [d ankfi, . .

Sacho ayilfdalfifiuwifteidhthat Illbfizgkainyfllng, lhwal: her meetinggroup ofbusinessmen who often went trhere 131C 0 I ek.mged to ahe, to Sachds distinguished gm“ of b .. Ymas wit endeared

asked for her. She took pride inllhe fal:\mtiF::I1c:1, who alwaysmeaningful conversations with customers unlike as; e tclfuld carrywho seemed to limit themselves to senseless chatte 0 er women

Eventually, Sacho brought alon h’ if er.

was <1 1- h cl g ‘s.“’ ° ‘° me“ MYma- Shethe C(€m1:letewtc:)sil:):’I\;Ihy‘::1iail'al"Ch21bt meletirtilgl led to regular visits bY

’ on t ~

Myma t°°k t° Calling Sacho’s wifi “mameair’lg1?lEsh«3t: »tvha::plfCe'tfansf th . ‘ C [CO

er elt threatened. He decided to pull Myrna

Myrna to escape from her pr°m°t°" He gave her his t l h' 8 ep one

28 HALFWAY T ' ~ VIrII<0b(.‘H rm‘ CIRCIE r/,3 Um f- - 8F‘/' ’ _ v , . ." 1 1.01170 Surwvms nfPm.smuuan :5: Sex 73n,66‘c,(-/,,g

‘r Evaluation. https://wW.qoppa.com

But before Myrna could do anything, Suzuki had her transferredto another club owned by a Taiwanese mother and daughter.

Here the women were kept like prisoners. Guards surroundedthe place and the women were forbidden to use the phone. Worse,they were treated badly by the owners. It was here that Myrnaencountered a sadistic customer.

Even before this customer took her out, Myrnaalready had herdoubts. At first, she refused to go with him but the owner scoldedher for being choosy. Myrna comforted herself with the thoughtthat nothing really bad could happen to a person in one night.Unfortunately, her hunch was right. The customer seemed todelight in seeing her struggle. In bed, be pressed a pillow to herface, making it hard for her to breathe. Myrna thought she woulddie that night. She had to struggle with all her might just to liftthe pillow a few inches away from her face and get a breath of air.

When she reported this to the owners, they didn’t believe her A

and even took the customer’s side. They blamed her for beingmaartc (finicky). She narrated her ordeal to a regular customer,who then tried to help her plan her escape. The owners caughton to their plan and they made sure that Myrna was not availablewhen he came back to the club.

The sadist returned a few days later and asked for Myrna again.Afraid to go out with him because it could mean her life thistime, she refused. That same night, she was severely punished bythe owners. They scolded her and pushed her around. Instead ofbacking down, Myrna fought back and reasoned out. She toldthe daughter, “Kunggusro mo, 1‘./(aw na Iaag ang sumama sa Itanyapara maranasan mo angginawa sa akzh!” (Why don’t you go withhim and experience for yourself what he did to me.) This angered

Myma WHITE SLAVERY IN MANILA & JAPAN 29


them even more. They pushed and dragged her to her room wherethey continued hitting her.

At one point, the owners went into another room. Myrnaheard one of them talking on the phone with her Yakuza (notoriousJapanese gang) partner. She asked him to “take care” of Myrna as

she couldn’t handle her anymore... they could pick up Myrnaoutside the club... she didn't want any commotion inside theplace. On hearing all this, Myrna wrapped herself around a postin the closet. Despite the effects of stress, alcohol and drugs, herstrength never wavered. The owners tried to pry her loose but she

held on tight. Then she heard cars stopping outside—the Yakuzawere here. For a brief spell, the owners left Myrna and the otherwomen by themselves. Myrna seized the chance to escape throughthe window. Another Filipina joined her and they were able to

elude the fate that awaited them at the hands of the Yakuza.

They went to a Filipina whom Myrna had met at the club.She entered them in another club where “legal” entertainersworked. A few days’ stay here made Myrna realize that the situationof legal and illegal workers differed little. Once a customer paidand asked you to go all the way, there was nothing you could doabout it. You couldn’t refuse, you were paid for.

After a few days, the Yakuza were able to trace Myrna and thewoman who had escaped with her. Luckily for Myrna, she was

out of the club when they arrived. The other woman was not as

lucky. The Yakuza found her and took her with them. Myrnanever heard from her again.

Myrna couldn’t go back to the club, so she went to the houseof a regular customer. During her week's stay, she suddenlyremembered that she had Sacho’s number. He had his driver pickher up and bring her to the club where she stayed for several days.

PDF Studio - PDF Editor for Mac, Windows, Linu>1. For Evaluation. https://www.qoppa.com/pdfstudio

Since the Yakuza might come looking for her there, Myrna hid atthe top floor of the building where the club was located. She

snuck into a pile of mattresses. The Yakuza came and searchedthe place but they were unable to find her.

A DOSE OF GOOD FORTUNE...

Myrna eventually lived in Sacho’s house with his family. Theytreated her well and even 83“ he!’ 35013 in the Coffee shop thevowned. She earned a thousand yen per hour. She was able to savesome money as she didn’t have to pay for her board l0dgmg-Sacho and his family also gave her old clothes. After six monthsof working in the coffee shop, Myrna decided $0 g°.h°me-_ Shepromised Sacho that she would return to work for him again.

Since her travel documents were not with her, Myrna had t0

surrender to the Japanese Immigration. She also went to thePhilippine Embassy to secure an affidavit for her lost passport.Embassy officials asked if she had money with her. Luckily, Myrnahad been warned to put only a small amount of money in herwallet and hide the bulk of it elsewhere. Before going p

to the embassy, Myrna wrapped her money in plasticand placed it in a bottle of lotion. She soon foundout for herself that before anybody could get anyhelp from embassy officials, she had to shell out

money. Myrna had to pay two thousand yen for heraffidavit and picture. The Japanese Immigrationbought her ticket and deducted the cost from thepersonal belongings she turned over for safekeepingupon her surrender.

30 _ _ Y ‘ _ . _ g A _ Myrna WHITE SLAVERY IN MANlLA Si JAVA?‘HA1 HK _~\\ : Hlh ii if «‘il 1 Hi". ( lli( H: The [.I's'c.~‘ 0/‘<9 Filipina .51;/1'/'m1.s' at I”ru.~'r/ru[i:>n <81 Sm’ Tn;/7/¢'£'iI7,g


I-’D|' Studio - I-’D|' I:dItor for Mac, Windows, Linux.

Five days later, Myrna flew back home. It was nine monthsafter she had first set foot in Japan.

Myrna stayed in the Philippines for two months and kept intouch with Sacho. She spent this time visiting her family inCebu. She gave them the money she earned in Japan. Her relativeswere in awe over her good fortune. They envied her for realizingher dreams of making big money. They didn’t probe. They were

content that she had money and gifts for them.She returned to Japan after two months. This time, her stay

was much more pleasant, owing to Sacho’s and his wife’s generosity.

They employed her in the car parts warehouse that the coupleowned. She was paid a thousand yen per hour. Again she lived at

Sacho’s house and was treated as part of the family. Like before,she was able to save money. After some time, Sacho asked her ifshe wanted to marry one of his crew in the construction business

he owned so she could stay in Japan permanently. She declinedthe offer; it was not part of her plans. She only wanted to save

money for her family.After nine months in Japan, Myrna began to feel homesick.

She asked permission to go back to the Philippines. It was difficultfor Sacho and his family to see her go. But they couldn’t hold herback. Life in the Philippines was beckoning her.

THEN BACK TO THE (‘ASA

On Myrna’s return to Manila, she met a Filipina who befriendedher and offered her place for Myrna to stay. She did not knowthat Carmen had a boyfriend who was a pimp and member of a

local gang. During her stay at their place, they robbed her of hermoney and possessions little by little. Her former friends also

ll.-\l I‘\\'.-\\ T! IRUK ‘( nil T] H’ ('H{('l.l‘ T/It‘ [.iI'c=.~‘ u/'6' F/'/ipinu .8‘:/rr/wry u//’rn.~'I/'11//in/2 & 5:-.\‘ 7771//7c.('/I1,r1

‘rr

‘I-or Izvaluation. https://www.qoppa.com/pdtstudio

took advantage of her. They would get her drunk, “borrow” herjewelry and never return them. Myrna went broke.

Because she knew no one in Manila she could trust and run to

for help, Myrna ended up once more in a casa. She was backwhere she started.

She went back to Cebu after her stint in the casa. There she

met Ding, a graduating student in criminology. Myna was depressed

over her misfortunes. She felt it was time for her to settle downso she could be with one man. Ding was supposed to be thatperson. They became intimate and she got pregnant. When Dinglearned about it, he backed off. He feared his parents would stopsupporting him, jeopardizing his chances for graduation. He hadnothing more to offer Myrna.

She returned to Manila, pregnant. Again, her path led her to

the casa. She stayed there until her sixth month then lived witha friend until she gave birth.

Life remained the same for Myrna after giving birth to Jennifer.She returned to the casa where she stayed for another two years.

She was only able to stop when she met a Japanese named Fujiwho became the father of her second child Mariko. For a while,life was good to Myrna. Mariko’s father was a generous provider.With his money, Myrna was able to send for her mother andsister in Cebu so they could be together in Manila. They got a

house in Cavite where they all stayed. But Myrna and Fuji’srelationship didn't last long; other people who were interested inhis money got in the way. They plotted to get her out of Fuji’slife. Unfortunately, they succeeded. ’

Myrna was at the end of her rope. She couldn’t understandwhy the good life she had for two years ended. It was as if that lifewas not really meant for her. Myrna didn't want to‘ go back to the

Myrna wnm-1 SLAVERY IN MANILA & JAPAN 33


34

casa. If she asked for help from the people she knew there, she

would only be lured back to a life she desperately wanted to

escape. She was confused and didn't know who and where to

turn to. “Gusto kong mag—ump1'sa pero I21'na'i [(0 212111 Icung saan

mag—ump1'sa.” (I want to start anew but I don’t know how.)Three months after she separated from Fuji, they met again

and he handed her some money. She used the money to send hermother and her two kids back to Cebu.

REBUILDING A BROKEN LIFE

In 1991, Myrna started going to The Loved Flock, a Catholiccharismatic organization where she met people who gave her muchneeded support. Her involvement with the group enabled her to

come to terms with her experience. There, too, she met the couplewho helped her realize her long—time dream of going back to

school by giving her transportation allowance. Using some of themoney Fuji gave her to pay for her tuition, she enrolled as a thirdyear student in the Manila High School. Still, she was hard upand almost had to give up schooling—but for Mrs. Madrigal, a

teacher at the school, who loaned her money so she wouldn’thave to stop.

Myrna realized that she couldn’t always rely on the generosityof others to finance her schooling. She looked for a job andlanded as a janitor in Star City, an amusement park in Manila.Life as a working student was not easy. After school, Myrna workeduntil the wee hours of morning. She snatched a few hours sleepbefore the day’s classes. By persistence and determination, Myrnawas able to finish high school. And because she did well, she gota scholarship for a two—year computer secretarial course.

lI.~\l.I-'\\«"AY TI’IR(7l}GH 'I‘I‘IIE L'IRCl,If. The 1./|’c‘.\' of 8 ["1"/ip//in Surv/I'un\‘ n/' /*’m.~'r1‘n/rim: :5: Sex Th-zfi9L‘.(*1'n;'

'7’

PDF Studio - PDF Editor for Mac, Windows, Linu‘1_Fx_.or Evaluation. https://www.qoppa.Com/pdistudio

Life was looking up for Myrna. She was in school and she hada community of people she could lean on for support. It was at

The Loved Flock, too, that she met Romy. They became friends.Eventually, their friendship blossomed into romance. They were

together for more than two years and had a son.

Later, Myrna became involved with the BATIS Center forWomen, an organization which assists women who have been to

Japan as “entertainers”. She met kindred souls and began to betterunderstand her experience and that of other women who hadbeen in the same situation. Myrna became determined to pourher energies into helping other women so that they would bespared the life she had.

REFLECTIONS

There was point in her life, as she was trying to pick up thepieces, when Myrna pitied herself for the way her life had turnedout. But she knew she had to get herself out of that emotionalquagmire for the sake of her children.

“Kailarzgan lcong Iumaban kasi baka sila naman ang susunodna mapunta sa ganoon.” (I had to fight because my childrenmight end up the same way.) She had seen this happen to otherwomen, their children ending up in the same situation they hadbeen through.

“Strain [co na Iang ang satili [co Izuwag Iang madamay ang mgaanak Ico.” (It’s enough that my life was destroyed. My childrenshould be spared from this.)

Myrna doesn’t feel comfortable talking about sex. “Baboy iza

nga ang nangyari, mas 1310 [(0 pang bababuyin ang sarili [(0 5.2

kuwento. Maygusto alcong iwan kabit Iconting d1_'gnia'ad” (What

Myrna WHITE SLAVERY IN MANILA Si JAPAN


36

happened to me was degrading and talking about it would furtherdehumanize me. I want to leave a little dignity for myself.)

Myrna feels pity for women who have been, continue to be,and eventually will be exploited like herself. “Kawawa naman

ang babac dabil no choice. Pazanggamit na gagawirzgpantubossa pamamagitan ng Icatawan.” (Poor women, they have no choice.Their bodies are like objects to be pawned and used.) She doesn’tlook too kindly at other women who knowingly push their childreninto a life of sexual exploitation.

What does she think of customers in the flesh trade? “Iniisipnila na banggang pangkarna na [mg mg babae.” (They thinkthat women are good only for bed.) She feels that customers donot respect women as individuals. Nor do they recognize thatwomen have rights too.

God created women and men as equals, Myrna believes. “Sabisa Bible, ang tao ay brhdipuwedeng Iilcbain nang Irindipanta;/.”(The Bible says that people can’t be created unless they're equal.)

She feels that it’s wrong for men to confine women to the fourcomers of a house. “Mali Ito dabil, buong bubay mo na Iang banasa apat na sulolc ng balmy Iang ang mundo mo?” (It’s wrongbecause, are the four comers of your house to be your world allyour life?)

In the same breath, Myrna also recognizes the value of women’schild care and housework. “Kung tutuusiln, mas mahirap mag—

alaga ng bata kaysa magtrababo sa Iabas. Angmga Ialaki, trabahosa Iabas tapaspahinga pag—uwi ng babay: Samantala ang babae, sa

Ioob at Iabas ng balmy ang trababo. Dapat mabiya ang Ialalci sa

babae. Hindi sila dapat magmalalci. ”(If you really think about it,it is harder to raise a child than to work outside the house. Aftertheir work, men are used to taking it easy once they get home.

l‘l/\l..F\A\’.-‘\Y 'l‘l'lROl}Gil Vlllli ClRCl.l‘: The Lives nflr"/’ FI'/ipinn .‘7"tJrlr'I'w)I'.s‘ (1/‘I'l‘().s‘i‘f!lI[.I'i)I7 LS} Sex 77:1/7iC/(il),57

I-’D|- Studio - PD|- |:ditor for Mac, Windows, Linuscwsor Izvaluation. https://www.qoppa.com/pdrstudio..

For women, they do work in and outside the house. Men shouldbe ashamed in front of women. They shouldn’t crow.)

CLEARING A PATH

Myrna is currently taking up a six—month intensive Japanese

course. The opportunity came about through her involvementwith BATIS. After ‘six months, she and the other students willtake an exam to be given by the Japanese Embassy. If they pass,

their names will be included in the embassy’s list of officialinterpreters.

Myrna now lives with her two children Mariko, 7, and Jerome,2. Her eldest daughter, Jennifer, 9, is with Myma’s mother inCebu. Myma’s relationship with Romy, Jerome's father, ended a

few months back. They were supposed to get married but Romy’sparents didn’t approve of her.

She plans to tell her children about her experience some day,

including the fact that they have three different fathers. Shedoesn’t want to hide anything from them. Sometimes she findsherself talking to Jennifer, asking for forgiveness.

The children are her top priority. She wants to give them a

better future. But Myrna also realizes that she has to rebuild herself,to regain her confidence so that she can achieve her dreams forher children. “Hindi [co sila maitatawid lcung lzindi Ico maitawidang sarili Ito.” (I cannot help them if I can't help myself). _

Myrna is unemployed but she’s actively looking for a job. Shewas interviewed for a job at a laundry shop. They seemedenthusiastic with her application at first. But when they learnedthat she had been to Japan, they suddenly lost interest in her.They never called her back. Myrna has applied as a data encoder/

My/77;: WHITE SL»\'\/ERY IN MANILA Ck JAPAN 37


PDF Studio — PDF Editor for Mac, Windows, LinuX.’”For Evaluation. https://www.qoppa.com/pdfstudioT

indexer with one of the women's organizations in Quezon City.She’s not really pinning much hope on landing the job but is

thankful for the opportunity.Myrna plans to take up further studies even if it means she has

to start from scratch. “Mabizap tumanda nang walangalam, walangnaiintindiban. Malzitap ma—lcontento sa iisazzggawazh Iang.” (It'shard to grow old knowing nothing, understanding nothing. One 4shouldn’t be contented with just one kind of work.)

All these things Myrna wants to accomplish while there's stilltime. “Ayaw [tong dumating ang panabon na matanda na aka,nakabilata na salta pa aka magsisisi. Pagdating ng araw na iyon,wala nang panabon Icumilos.” (I don’t want to reach old age, p

bedridden and regretful. When that day comes, there’ll be no l

more time to act.)

A Wedding

Made in Kara

:-

MARILYN T. ERPELO

38 i‘lAl.l"'W/KY 'l"HROU(‘:H THE CIRCLE The Lives of 49 H’//pint: Survivors‘ t7f.Pl‘0.s'[l‘tlIfl'Ul1 (SK Sex 77*.Ifl7i‘kI't1,g


M4 M39.has beenlike tuha+you see. in1-he,movies.

complexion], attractive and charming.’She is articulateand very pleasant to talk with. She is probably a typical

Filipino woman in many ways. But she has experiences that are

not at all typical. She wants these experiences to be known, forother women to draw lessons from them, and so she tells herstory.

Lenny was born in Same Tomas, a big agricultural town inPangasinan, on January 22, 1960, to a large family. She grew upin Pangasinan with seven brothers and sisters. She has a twin

I enny is 38 years old, slight of build, Icayumanggi [brown

‘sister. Two of her siblings died; one in infancy, and the other,when he was in second year high school.

40 HALFWAY THROUGH THE cmcu; The Lives are Filipino 5urv/‘vols ofPro.m'Iu1ian & Sex 77:rfiicIcin,g»

.1

PDF Studio - PDF Editor for Mac, Windows, Linux; For Evaluation. https://www.qoppa.com/pdtstudionyi

Her childhood was normal in every way. She describes herfamily as middle class; they were not rich but they were not pooreither. Life was comfortable. They owned the house they lived innear the city. Her parents also owned some tenanted agriculturalland from which they derived much of their income. Her motherwas a schoolteacher and her father, a barangaf captain. Bothparents put a premium on education. To them, it is a priceless giftthat parents can give their children. And so, they were all sent to

school; in fact, the youngest sibling will be graduating from collegethis school year.

Lenny herself finished high school. She can speak Filipino,Ilocano and English fluently. She took a two—year secretarial course

which she finished in 1983.

MARRIAGE AND HARD TIMES

Soon after her studies, Lenny took a vacation at her sister’s

place. There she met Oscar, a good—looking and charming man

three years her senior, who had finished two years of college.They married right away, then had to live with her parents«in—

law because they couldn’t afford to have their own house yet.The family started to grow. Five children—three boys and two

girls—were born to Lenny and Oscar almost every other yearuntil 1992. \)(/ith the growing number of children also came greaterpressure for the couple to earn a good living. This proved to be

difficult, as Oscar could only get odd jobs in their town. Heworked as a farmer, a welder, a driver—he worked at

that could give him some money to support his growing family.

' Smallest political unit covering several rural villages or urban communities.

Lenny A m;'r>m:\=<; MADE IN KOREA 41


But his income was never enough. He depended a lot on hismother to give him financial support, and Lenny thought that hedidn’t try hard enough because he had his mother to run to

whenever he needed money. They also alternately resided inPangasinan and Zambales to try their luck at better—paying jobs.This move didn't change their economic state. Money was theirgreatest problem. The occasional quarrels they had were alwaysabout this.

Lenny had no choice but to find work herself. She worked as

a seamstress in a garment factory right after giving birth to herfirst child. For almost a year, she also engaged in a buy—and—sell

business, selling beauty products, garments, house wares and otherproducts. She couldn’t hold on to a job for long. Her every—other—

year pregnancies and their frequent moves from one province to

the other were not helpful at all in their attempt to secure a

better life for their family. She and Oscar resorted to borrowingmoney from all possible sources: family, relatives, friends, neighbors.They relied on loans when their irregular income was not enoughto meet their basic needs. Still there was never enough.

Lenny began to entertain ideas about working abroad to earn

more money. Of all her brothers and sisters, she was the only one

who was having a difficult time. Her twin sister applied for a jobin England a few years back, got married, and now lives therewith her family. An older brother migrated to Australia with hisfamily and is doing well. Except for one brother, who is still a

student, her other siblings all live in Pangasinan with their familiesand are quite comfortable. She occasionally gets financial helpfrom her siblings who live abroad. Her parents also help her out

from time to time.

42 HAl.l’7Wt\Y TliR( )L7(3l'l Tlil-i. (.7lRL.'l.E 7714* Livc=.~‘ UIX9 F1’/r;DI'm7 51/Iv/'m:'.~‘ of /’m,~‘I/Turin/2 6': Sex 77‘.'n’fi'c.('iII.£’

PDF Studio - PDF Editor for Mac, Windows, Linux For Evaluation. https://www.qoppa.com/pdistudio

They have repeatedly asked her to stay with them in SantaTomas since she’s finding life so difficult. She refuses because she

wants to make it on her own, like her other brothers and sisters.

She knows she can do it, too, with her diligence, capability andindependent spirit. She does not fear hard work. She keeps tellingherself her fortune will turn for the better. It’s simply a matter oftime.

In 1993, her husband Oscar was able to go to Saudi Arabia as

a contract worker. He got a construction job and sent home threeto four thousand pesos every month. Oscar worked abroad formore than two years but did not have any savings when he came

home.Oscar was still working in Saudi Arabia in 1995. Meanwhile,

Lenny got a job as an encoder in a small computer outfit inManila where a cousin was working. Her monthly salary was

about the same as Oscar’s' monthly remittance from Saudi Arabiabut their combined salary still was not enough for their familyneeds.

So, when an international movement that promised foreignemployment began an extensive recruitment campaign in thecountry, it found in Lenny a most receptive and enthusiasticrecruit.

THE MOONIES

The Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of WorldChristianity—or Unification Church—is based in South Koreaand has chapters in many parts of the world. It is headed by theReverend Father Sun Myung Moon, the founder whose name

Ly/my A w1';:nxu:\'\; MAi>i:. [N K()REA 43


means “The Shining Sun”. Its members are internationally andmore popularly known as the Moonies.

The Unification Church was established on May 1, 1954 bythe South Korean evangelist and businessman. Before this, Rev.Moon was a minister of the Presbyterian Church, which hadexcommunicated him in 1948. Some say he was arrested by thecommunists on charges of disturbing social order. Moon claimsthat his arrest was due to his anti—communist activities. Othercritics assert that it was because of Moon’s ritual—sex practices.Moon believes that blood cleansing can be achieved by purifyingthe genetic taint of sin from female members by having sexualintercourse with them. In 1955, Moon and some leaders were

again arrested on charges of immorality but were not convicted.The year 1957 was a milestone for the Unification Church.

Moon published his book, The Divine Principle, which becamethe Church's authoritative scripture. It contains the theologicalteachings of Rev. Moon and the mission of the‘ Church: to preachmoral virtues to young people and to promote understandingamong the world’s religions.

The primary purpose of the Unification Church is the worshipof God, and the study, teaching and practical application of theDivine Principle to transcend denominational, political, racialand social barriers. It also aims to unite mankind under God, to

help young people live their faith and face the challenge posed

by rampant immorality, drug abuse and social unrest with God—

centered morals and ethics. V

The Moonies believe that their Church stands on the basis ofreligion, faith, and love of‘God and fellowmen. ]oint marriages,mass weddings and divorces are an exercise of human rights andreligious freedom to pursue happiness by establishing an‘ ideal

44 H/\l.F\\'/\Y THRUU(.iH 'I'Hli ClR('l.I£ 7'/zc [.ivr-s u/X5’ Fl"/ip/'/In Surv/'mrs of/’rm't.r'tutI'«)n LS} Sex 77211976/tI'r1,r.'

family on the basis of true love, the basic teaching of themovement. »

The Unification Movement quickly spread. It led to theestablishment of 60 organizations in about 160 countries aroundthe world. Its teachings, rituals and activities have widespreadappeal primarily for idealistic young people and those who are

disillusioned with traditional churches.In the Philippines, the Unification Movement has organized

local chapters ofmost of the international organizations establishedby Rev. Moon. These chapters are estimated to have about 500,000members throughout the country. Their recruitment program is

quite extensive. They conduct group lectures and seminars inschools and in church centers located in almost all cities in thecountry. Members introduce themselves personally in work places

or in the homes of the prospective members to convince them to

join the movement. Recruits go through a program oflectures,prayers and sports, and are urged to put their faith in Moon andhis teachings. They are also urged to leave their families, schoolsor jobs in order to live in communes and to work in Churchenterprises.

LENNY GAINS ACCEPTANCE

The recruiters, two men and a woman, became Lenny’s frequentvisitors at her cousin's place. They showed her employmentbrochures, pictures of places where members could work, andphotographs of Filipino VIPs—— some high—ranking governmentofficials, retired military officers, prominent society people—who‘are members of the local chapters. All this to prove their legitimacy.

Lenny .»\ \m:I>nx:~:o MADE IN XOR!-LA 45


46

I-’D|— Studio - I-’D|' I:dItor for Mac, Windows, Linu

But the most enticing offer of membership for Lenny was thepromise of overseas employment,:t.he very real chance of gettinga good job abroad. There was no mention of what this good jobwas. Repeatedly they only talked about the opportunity to earn

in just one day the amount of money that she would earn in‘ a

month’s work in Manila!Lenny was convinced. She joined the Unification Movement

in May 1995, over her cousin’s objections. The promise of bigmoney in overseas work proved hard to resist. This was her chanceto provide for her children’s future.

Lenny was brought to the center in Quezon City where she

accomplished a membership form. She declared that she was singleand had no children. She also had her picture taken. She attendeda seminar on the objectives of the movement. This was all ittook to make her an official member of the Unification Church.She became a full—time missionary. Along with other new

members, she lived in the national headquarters of the UnificationChurch in Samar Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City.

The Church has eight centers in Metro Manila and 19 centersin different cities throughout the Philippines. The place doesn’tlook like a church; it’s more like an office and is used as such bymembers. They do not call each other by name. A recruit is

‘called kapatid (brother/sister), the church leaders are calledmagulang (parents). To gain trust and confidence, she dideverything that she was asked to do.

Her first task was to raise funds for themovement. Funds were

needed to recruit more members, maintain their office/residence,buy food and sustain the activities of the Moonies. Lenny was

asked to sell candles, candies, peanuts, ball pens, key chains andodds—and—ends. The instruction was: if people do not wish to buy

H/\Ll"\VAY THR0l,’(}ll THE ('lRL‘l.l7. The LI'Vc.~' n/S Filipino Surrim/.\' ofPms'u‘[z/I/n/7 & 56X 7'r;:fi7z:k/'/7,9

fFor Izvaluation. https://www.qoppa.com/pdtstudio

from her, she should instead ask for voluntary contributions—any amount would do—for the mission. Missionaries were allowedto use “heavenly deceit”; they would tell people that the moneywould be used for orphans, for drug rehabilitation, and for otherworthwhile causes. They collected a lot of money in theirfundraising drive. She knew some ‘members who turned incollections worth five to ten thousand pesos daily. All proceedsof the fundraising went to the Unification Church and, ultimately,to Rev. Moon. They were simply given a limited allowance forpersonal needs. Their food, clothes and housing were all providedfor at the center.

Food raising was another major activity. Lenny, together withthe other members, regularly visited public markets and food stallswhere they solicited contributions, in cash or in kind, from marketvendors who were actually as poor as they were, if not poorer.

As important as raising money for the movement was thecontinuing recruitment of new members. Recruitment efforts were

intensified in schools and in the provinces. Lenny went far andwide to recruit members—to remote barangays in some provinces,to cities as well as the countryside. As in their other activities,the members were given specific instructions on what to do or

say in approaching potential recruits. They recruited only women,which made her wonder what the Moonies were really up to.They were told to invite young women in poverty, or those whohad low—paying jobs. They had to say good things about themovement to attract the women. The selling point was alwaysthe opportunity to have a job where a woman could earn in one

day what she normally earned in a month. This proved to beirresistible to many women. Many of them joined.‘

Lenny A WEDDING MADE IN KOREA 47


PDF Studio - PDF Editor for Mac, Windows, Linufl

Lenny had many doubts. But she herself was convinced thatthe organization would be able to provide its members workopportunities abroad. Like the other women, she believed that a

high—paying job was there for the taking once she got there. Sheneeded that job for her children. So she cast her doubts aside.She did everything that they asked her to do. She followed theirinstructions and teachings faithfully, worked hard at fundraising,

‘food raising and recruiting. She wanted to earn their trust andprove that she was one of them.

Lenny’s family was very much against her joining theUnification Movement. Her parents, brothers and sisters were

angry with her. They warned her, in no uncertain terms, thatnothing good would come out of her joining the movement.

They thought of it as just a racket. The warning went unheeded.Four months went by. Lenny was all set to go abroad. She had

been matched with a Korean man for marriage in South Korea. Itwas now clear to Lenny that the promise ofworking abroad wouldbe realized only through marriage to a Korean national.

The movement preached that women should be matched withmen to start the Ideal Family. The Rev. Moon was the primarymatchmaker.

He was given divine powers to know a person well by lookingat his or her picture. He always knows the truth, they said, andhe can tell if one is lying. Just by looking photographs, Rev.Moon knows right away whether a couple will be a good match.

There were some women who couldn’t be matched or whowere rejected by Korean men. Women were not allowed to choosetheir would—be partners. Only the men could reject the women

for any or no reason at all. In such cases, the leaders would preachto the rejected women about how to be worthy of marriage, the

48 HALI-"WAY TI’ll‘\0UG‘H THE CIRCLE The Lives 0/8 Fi//)7/‘mi 5urV1'mIs of Prostitution 6} Sex 77;it7’::ki17g

duties and responsibilities of women, and so forth. Then matchingwould be tried again until someman accepted the woman formarriage. When Lenny was matched, a photograph of the man

she would marry was sent to her. His name was Jong Soo Ryu, a

Korean farmer about her age. She had no reaction. It was justwork, nothing more.

The women prepared to leave for South Korea. Lenny paidP1,50O for her passport and P600 for her visa. She found out laterthat the Moonies were making money from both ends, since theKorean was also asked to pay for the travel papers ofhis soon—to—

be “bride.” Each “groom” paid a total amount of US$2,000 to

cover the expenses for transportation, meals and presents for hisbride, as well as the cost of a ready—made wedding gown.

BIGGEST MASS WEDDING

One—hundred—four women, including Lenny, departed for SouthKorea on August 22, 1995. They were ordinary—looking Filipinasin search of greener pastures. Their ages ranged from 16 to 52years. Some were professional workers: teachers, accountants,supervisors, office workers. Others were students, sales clerks,domestic helpers, vendors, and plain jobless women. A few ofthe women had disabilities—one was blind in one eye, one or

two were crippled, another was cross—eyed; another, hare—lipped.

Their genuine Philippine passports were stamped with genuineKorean tourist visas which were valid for 90 days. Just beforedeparture, each woman was given P500 for the airport terminalfee and US$100 as pocket money, to be used mainly in buyinggifts for her “husband-to—be” and his relatives. They were told . a

that this was a Korean tradition a woman had to observe.

Lenny A wi~:nmNc MADE IN KOREA 49

TOT Evaluation. https://www.qoppa.Com/pdistudioNV’


They went through immigration without any hitch. An agencywith contacts at both airports facilitated their departure fromManila and arrival in Seoul, where they were required to take an

AIDS test. Lenny thought of the entire procedure as just routine.The women were in South Korea for only five days. They

stayed secluded in a hotel in the city. On the third day, August25, a mass wedding was held at the Olympic Stadium in Seoul.This was probably the biggest international mass wedding ever

held, with some 360,000 couples participating in Seoul and, byextension, in 130 other countries around the world throughsatellite. The wedding ceremony was officiated by the Rev. SunMyung Moon in Korea and by his representatives in othercountries. (A similar mass wedding was to be held five monthslater, on January 23, 1996, at the PICC Complex in Manila wheresome 983 Filipino women were married to foreign nationals, mostlyKoreans.) The brides were of different nationalities: Asians likeThais, Japanese, Filipinos and Singaporeans; Africans, SouthernEuropeans, and many others; the grooms were Koreans, most ofthem crudely uneducated males, in their 20s and 305, from farmsand fishing communities.

The wedding ceremony had all the features and characteristicsof a church wedding in the Philippines. It includedrituals likeexchange of wedding rings and “I do’s” between the brides whowore white wedding gowns and the grooms in coat and tie. Butno marriage contracts were signed, no marriage licenses issued to

the participants. They were simply made to accept their partnersand to take each other as eternal husband and wife, in the traditionof the Unification Movement. They recited vows, exchangedrings and offered prayers. The vows emphasized the couple’sreadiness to serve God’s will, their commitment to true love,

50 l‘l.~’\l,l"\\'J\\" 'l'HROU(9li Tl ll: L'lRCl.l{ T/we L/I'c.~' n/' 15' Fi//)7/"rm S1/rvlmr.\' wt"/’m.~‘1/'/u//'un 6} 54-.\’ 7771//'i'¢'K'I'I7,L’

Ti

i

ii

J

~&

PDF Studio - PDF Editor for Mac, Windows, Linux* or Evaluation. https://www.qoppa.com/pdfstudio

fidelity and permanency in marriage, and their pledge to serve

the cause of world peace.After the wedding, the women were taken back to their hotels

where they remained until their departure for their own countries.But there were other rituals before the marriage was deemedcompleted. Lenny especially remembers the Tang Gam Stick or

“Restoration Ceremony” because it was physically painful. Thepurpose of the ritual was to free the marriage ofall past resentmentor ill—feeling between the new husband and wife. The man hitsthe woman three times with a softball bat. The woman, in turn,hits the man three times with the same bat. Inflicting pain on

each other supposedly marks the end of all their quarrels, andthey can thus begin their marriage freely and with good feelingtowards each other. The rite was witnessed by their church leaders,

who hit both the men and women when they thought the coupleswere not hitting each other hard enough.

A period of separation followed. This lasted for at least 40 days

from the wedding ceremony. The newlyweds abstained from sexualcontact and were supposed to spend this time separately, in prayerand reflection, so that they would be prepared for the start ofmarried life.

Lenny was back in Manila after five days. Before she left Seoul,Jong Soo Ryu gave her a watch, a necklace, a ring and one millionwon in cash (Korean currency equivalent to approximately P5,000

in 1995) as bridal gifts. This, again, is a Korean tradition. Thechurch leader took the gifts from her when they searched herbags upon arrival at the Center from the airport. These would gotowards paying off all expenses that were incurred by the movementfor her recent marriage.

Lenny A \Vi-‘.DDlN(} MADE IN KOREA 5 1


52

The two—month separation period was used for fund raisingand recruitment activities. The leaders said the Unification Churchneeded money badly as it had spent a lot of money for the mass

wedding. Lenny was able to get away for a time to visit her childrenwhom she had not seen for a few months. Three children were

left with her family in Pangasinan, one child was in the care ofher parents—in—law in Zambales, and the youngest stayed with a

relative in Baguio City. She visited them all. Her family was veryangry with her when they learned that she went to South Koreato get married, even as she explained that it wasn’t a real marriage.Her family felt shame and humiliation that she, a Catholic and a

married woman, had to go to another country to marry again formoney! Lenny wrote her husband Oscar in Saudi Arabia toexplain: her plan was to go back to South Korea, tell her Koreanhusband that she had a husband and children in the Philippines,and he’d probably leave her alone. Then she’d be able to find a

job and send money to her family in the Philippines.Two months later, on October 25, 1995, Lenny, together with

the group of women she was with before, was once again on herway to South Korea to start the Ideal Family with her Koreanhusband. She was given P500 for the terminal fee, her passportand a plane ticket. They were told not to bring many things;everything they’d need would be provided by their husbands.Upon arrival, the group was taken to a training center wherethey attended a three—day seminar—their introduction to Koreanlife and their duties and responsibilities to their husbands. Theprogram included a basic course on the Korean language andintroduction to culture studies. Studies of divine principlesembodied in Rev. Moon’s teachings were also taken up. Thenthey were asked to leave behind memories of their past life and

l'lAl.l’\V}‘\\' 'l‘l‘lROl,.’Gll THE CIRCLE 777c- L/Vc-x of 8 Fi//pinu Survivors uf Prnsriu/nun & Sc-X 7P:af/icki:7,g

V!

I-’L)|' Studio - I-’L)|‘ I:dItor TO!‘ Mac, VVIHCIOWS, Linux. |'OI‘ Izvaluation. https://www.qoppa.com/pdtstudio

forget their families and country, for they were now in the “TrueFatherland” (Korea) with their “True Parents" (Mr. & Mrs. SunMyung Moon). Their passports and tickets were taken from thempurportedly for safekeeping. After the seminar, the husbandsfetched their wives and brought them to their respective churches.Lenny was the only Filipino in the church she was brought to.

The Korean brought Lenny to his house in a farm near themountains. Lenny began her new life.

SUFFER BY HEAVENLY WILL

From the start, Lenny found herself in an impossible situation.She felt completely isolated in that farm, the nearest neighborbeing miles away. And it was far from Seoul, the capital city.The household consisted of the Korean and his aging mother,neither of whom spoke English. Lenny couldn’t speak theirlanguage either. They communicated by signs when needed, whichwas seldom. Lenny had an English—Korean dictionary, whichhelped a bit when she asked questions. They had very littleconversation. Whenever the Korean talked to her, he spoke in a

loud voice and an angry tone. She suspected he was hurlinginvectives and insults at her.

They lived in a very uncomfortable house that did not haveany water heater, refrigerator, washing machine and other basichousehold appliances. On top of it all, no toilet! Lenny was treatedlike a housemaid in this primitive house. She did the laundryusing ice—cold water and she had to cook with firewood. She was

made to plant, help in harvesting crops, take care of the livestock,and take care of the grouchy old woman! The clothes she broughtfrom Manila turned out to be inadequate for the extremely cold



'54

weather. Their daily fare consisted of rice and peclzay [green leafyvegetable] with watery Irimchi [spicy Korean vegetable mixture].She was even made to work in the households of the Korean’srelatives, without pay.

Lenny fought hard against the Korean the first time he forcedsex on her. But she was no match against his physical strength.He made her do sexual acts that revolted her. Whenever she

resisted or refused, he would hit her and hurt her until shecomplied. Even worse, he brought her to different men for theirsexual pleasure. How many times, she can no longer recall. TheKorean received money after every sexual service, a business

transaction for him. She did not see how much money he got butshe suspects he made a lot. She was not only a work slave, she

was also a sex slave! She told her church leaders everything thathad happened to her when they came around to visit. But theybrushed her offwith a sermon on the virtues of sacrifice, with theadmonition that it is a woman’s duty to obey her husband andnot complain. They told her that suffering is the will of the“Heavenly Father,” Rev. Moon.

Lenny made plans to escape. Her Korean “husband” hadthreatened her before—she would be arrested by the police if she

ever attempted to escape. There was no reason to doubt that hecould make good his threat. She knew, too, that the Moonieswere powerful and well—connected. But she justhad to flee fromhell.

The opportunity came on December 14. At about five o’clockin the morning of that winter day, she left the house, takingnothing except the clothes she had on and a thin jacket. Shemust have walked for about 45 minutes. It was still dark whenshe reached a train station that was almost deserted at that hour.

liAl.l"'\\".:'\\' 'l'HROUL-'H THE (,‘lRk.‘Lf". 7'/14: L/'ms' u/X5’ /'7/.-]u'Im S(II‘|'/l’Ul1\' 0/l/’/'a.s'rmIImn <32 .‘fe.\‘ 77:1/iibkilr/J

‘F

|-’D|- Studio - |-’D|- |:dlt0r Tor Mac, Windows, Linux. I-or I:va|uation. https://www.qoppa.com/pdistudio

She would circle the place every time she saw somebody approachthe station, aware that the Moonies were all over, even in theremotest places. She managed to call the Philippine Embassy inSeoul which quickly arranged for a nearby Methodist Churchleader to pick her up at the station and take her to the embassy

immediately.Still, Lenny wasn't safe. The Moonies now knew about her

escape and correctly assumed that she had informed the embassy

of her experience. They demanded that the embassy turn herover to them, saying she was a bona fide member of their church.But Lenny had gone into hiding, moving from one residence to

another in different locations in Seoul. These were the houses ofsome Filipino residents and Filipino migrant workers who helpedher escape. The Moonies probably meant to silence her fromexposing the illegal and anomalous acts of the Unification Church.Death threats followed Lenny.

On February 19, 1996, a composite team of agents of theNational Bureau of Investigation (NBI), the Bureau of Immigration(Bol) and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration(POEA) arrived in Seoul to look into the activities of themovement. This investigation was made a month after the mass

wedding of 983 Filipino women to foreign nationals at the PICCin Manila on Ianuary 23, 1996. By this time, Lenny had made a

sworn statement about everything that happened from the timeshe joined the Moonies in Manila to her escape from her Koreanhusband two months before. This statement was used by thePhilippine government to build up a legal case in Manila againstthe Unification Church.

The investigation team also interviewed six other Filipino“brides” in Korea and their sworn statements formed part of the



‘:4 PDF Studio - |-’D|- I:dItor TOI‘ Mac, Windows, Linux: I-0!‘ Izvaluation. https://www.qoppa.com/pdfstudioJ

V‘

evidence against the Moonies. The six women had beenparticipants in the mass wedding of August 25, 1995, and theywere staying at the different Unification churches in Korea,rendering voluntary service—cleaning, washing, cooking anddoing all other household chores. All of them entered Korea on

tourist visa (C—3) for 90 days. Upon expiration, the visas were

changed to trainee visa (D—4) and they were issued Certificates ofAlien Registration by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic ofKorea. The change in status from tourist to trainee was done bythe Unification Church without the women having to exit fromKorea as normally required.

The investigating team also attempted an ocular inspection ofthe churches where some of the Filipino brides were staying andto interview the women. Church officials refused their request.The agents, however, were able to take pictures of the church,the house and the farm where Lenny was taken and made to

work. The pictures, as well as Lenny’s sworn statement, thestatements of the six other Filipino brides, and the interviewswith officials of the movement and other Filipino residents inKorea, constituted the body of evidence that were to be used forthe prosecution of the officers of the Unification Movement forviolation of at least five Philippine laws. Notable among theselaws is R.A. 6955 or the mail—order bride law, which declaresunlawful the practice of matching Filipino women to foreignnationals for marriage. -

Lenny was heartened by the many actions taken by thegovernment agencies and some private groups to help her andthe other Filipino brides in Korea. A case was to be filed by thegovernment against the Unification Movement, with Lenny as

the principal witness. The prosecution of the Moonies was the

56 HALFVWKY THROUGH THE CIRCLE The Lt'vc'.s' .-2/25’ Fi/igninr; Szlrv/"vars of Prristftzlrin/1 & Sex 77:2/P7cK'in_gv

main recommendation of the investigating team. It was alsorecommended that the Moonies be banned from the Philippinesfor deliberately violating the laws of the country and for deceivingand exploiting Filipino women.

The Philippine Embassy in Korea did everything necessary to

bring Lenny safely back to Manila. She was given an alias, a new

passport in that name and a plane ticket. On February 22, 1996,

she took a flight from Seoul to Manila. All told, her Koreansojourn, from the time she left in August 1995 to get married, tothe time she returned to the Philippines, took all of six months.It felt like six years and more. But the important thing was, she

made it back home.

DO] DISMIS SES CASE

Lenny reunited with her husband Oscar and their five children.They lived in a small rented house in an urban poor communityin Quezon City where Oscar was able to get a construction job.Lenny and her parents, brothers and sisters in Pangasinan are

now in good terms. They have gotten over their resentment againsther and her marriage abroad. It is mainly their financial supportthat sees her own family through. —

For a short while, Lenny’s family tried to settle down to a quietnormal life: the children were in school; Oscar had his job, andLenny took care of the family. At the same time, she activelypursued the case against the Moonies. She followed up the case

with the NBI, Bol, POEA and Department ofJustice. She attendedmeetings with government lawyers, making statements and turningover documents that she could find, to strengthen the case. Hergoal was clear: Fight the Moonies and stop them!

Lenny A WEi)DING MADE IN KOREA 57


Lenny was so engrossed with the case that she failed to noticethe changes that were slowly taking place in her family. From thestart, she had been honest with them about her experience inKorea. Her children, young as they were, accepted this episodeaffecting their family as a fact of life. The youngest wouldoccasionally ask, “Hindi ba masamang Iugar ang Korea?” (Isn’tKorea a bad place?)

Her children coped better than she and Oscar did. She couldn’texplain her reaction to him. She didn’t welcome his sexualintimacies when they were reunited. She found them repulsive.And she was revolted by his touch. They grew apart. He thoughtthey could lead a new life and start again if she would just dropthe case. It was taking up so much of her time and energy. He feltsure that nothing would come out of it, that it was just a waste oftime. So he asked her to stop pursuing her case; she didn’t agree

with him. The marriage crumbled.One day, Oscar walked out of their house, leaving his family.

He never came back. Lenny doesn’t know where he is. She thinkshe is probably working abroad again. As far as she is concerned,her marriage to Oscar is now a closed chapter of her life; she can

do without him, and she and her children will survive.The case was taking a long time but, for her, its resolution

would be worth all the hard work, time and energy she had putinto it, as well as the troubles in her life that it had caused. Whenit’s over, she plans to get a job. With her qualifications, she thinksshe can get a good job, although it may not be that easy. Asked ifshe would consider overseas employment again, her emphaticresponse is, “No way!” She likes to think she has learned herlesson. She still feels like crying every time she remembers her

58 HALF“/AY THROUGH THE ClRCLE The Lives of 8 Filipino Si/.rVivaI.s' ofPru.vIimrion LS2 Sex 7}:)f//‘Cll’r'ng ’

cl-’D|' Studio - I-’D|' |:dl’[Ol' TOI‘ Mac, Windows, Linux‘, for Izvaluation. https://www.qoppa.com/pdistudio

ordeal. “My life has been like what you see in the movies,” she

sadllrllsll/el1:1:<S:h 1968, the case that Lenny had worked on for so

long, and that she thought could never lose, was dismissed by theDepartment of Justice. She couldn’t believe it! It was a big blow.How could it be dismissed? She was flatly told: Lack of evidence.But what about her own experience, her sworn statement? Whatabout the abuses committed against her? What of her pain andsuffering? The testimony of the people who helped her? She justcould not understand why the case‘ was dismissed. There was no

end to her questions. Sadly, there were no answers.

POSTSCRIPT

enny will appeal the decision to dismiss the case againstthe Unification Church. A non-government organization

providing free legal assistance to abused women has taken upher case She has been advised about her options, and some

steps may be taken to reverse the decision. Lenny and her

lawyer are working on it She doesn't know how |ong_it will takeor whether it will end differently this time. All she knows is, she

has to keep trying. _ _

With the dismissal of the case, it was as if a restructuring ofher whole life took place She is now living temporarilyin a

center for displaced women, while the NGO that is providingher legal service is working at reopening the case Her childrenhave been sent back to the home of her parents in the province,

as before She can't afford to keep them together, for now. Whenher parents learned about the dismissal of the case, they were

Lenny A \\’F.DT3iNG MADE IN KOREA


+5.". WPDF Studio - PDF Editor for Mac, Windows, Linux. For Evaluation. https://www.qoppa.com/pdfstudio

disappointed, but they also felt relieved. They thought It wouldmean that their much-troubled daughter could forget the past,

settle down and get on with her life But Lenny has other plansShe is going to pursue the case Vifith her decision, she has

antagonized her family once again. They can't understand whyLenny wouldn't drop the case when she has already lost it ButLenny thinks the case is more important than her family andother people realize Meanwhile, she stays at the women's centerwhere she's busy with some in-house training activities, housechores -and counseling sessions She's also making immediateplans for herself and her children.

Her goals and ambition remain the same She joined theUnification Movement thinking she could give her children a

better life That turned out to be a mistake, but now its time tomove on. Lenny believes it is never too late to dream one’s

dreams and work to realize them. It is just a matter of time

60 HALFWAY THROUGH THE CH{(.‘LE The Lives of 8 Filipino Survivors of Prostitution & Sex 77:1/fitking


a n

"Phi?

ISBN.9J.l:314SLJ;0___,_,flyv::_V>_,7._“_“_W_W_

J

v\JC

and political activists alike. They reach out to all readers

who care to listen and to learn from women in the

grassroots. Between the lines could be the stories. too. of

your friends and neighbors. and even of your own kin.

“THIS BOOK is a laudable project of WEDPRO that speaksfor the true victims of exploitation and human rights violation.While Congress is taking the necessary legislative steps toenact a law to prevent and suppress trafficking in womenand children. this book successfully serves the public withinformation and education on the issue. I commend WEDPFlOfor this resolute endeavor; and I salute Edna. Fe. Janet.Lenny, Mary Ann. Maricar. Myrna and Violy for their courage

and determination in continuing their journey."LOREN LEGARDA LEVISTE. Senator, Republic oi the Philippines

“PROSTITUTION. TRAFFlCKlNG AND MlGFlATlON arelinked together in the lives and experiences of Filipino women.and oi many other women across the world. who go abroadin an effon to improve their socioeconomic position. Theyare often subjected to many abuses. including discrimination,sexual harassment and rape. The women who tell theirstories in this book have survived with strength and dignity.Still, we should ask ourselves. how many more womenhave to undergo violence and abuse to support themselvesand their families?"

DR. ROSALIA SCIORTINO. Former Program OfficerFord Foundation, Philippines

These stories speak to the youth. students. researchers

ISBN fi7L'WLHSL-L-0

all9 78971914511

Prod ct‘ ' V . .u rvrty and Research Orga.n,Zat,pOn’_lnC (WE

Cover Design by Roland F Santof PIN‘.

co‘ Photo ‘


of prostitution & sex trafficking - zenodo

Documents