Putting a halt to child-sex tourism

DoT spearheads the Philippine leg of the Child Wise Tourism Program

Commercial sexual exploitation of children is the worst form of child labor. There are pimps coercing children into the sex trade, there are parents who, because of poverty, sell their children as sex-slaves. These awful crimes are openly taking place in hotels, resorts, and bars all around the Philippines –and we can do something about it.

Child-sex Tourism (CST) is the commercial sexual exploitation of children by men or women who travel from one place to another and engage in sexual acts with children. The growing ease of travel has lured child-sex predators into less-developed countries including the Philippines. This has made our children more vulnerable to this modern form of slavery.

To put a stop to this deplorable crime, the Department of Tourism (DoT), in cooperation with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has recently launched the Philippine leg of Child Wise Tourism Program, an ASEAN-wide education campaign, in the island of Boracay. The campaign aims to stop child-sex tourists in their tracks by encouraging responsible tourists and local citizens to report suspicious behavior.

“Tourism can be a double-bladed knife,” said Atty. Oscar P. Palabyab, DoT Undersecretary, Tourism Services & Regional Offices. “When we opened our doors for tourism, we let in all kinds of people including tourists who seek to sexually exploit children.”
“We need a very strong advocacy program that will put emphasis on the protection of children. Tourism in the Philippines may not grow as fast as our neighbors, but if we want to grow as a tourism destination, we must do it in a deliberate manner. The DoT wants to promote the Philippines as a destination that is not only beautiful and earth-friendly but also family-centered and truly a very wholesome place to visit,” Palabyab further explained.

However, the whole trouble with seizing people who commit crimes against children is not the same with the robbers, murderers, and terrorists. CST along with child prostitution, pornography and sex trafficking is a lucrative and ubiquitous business that often involves guardians and parents as perpetrators.

“Poverty is never an excuse for giving away your daughter or your son as slaves for sexual exploitation. Childhood is owned only by the child. It’s nobody else’s, it’s not the parents’ gift to give. Just as it’s every Filipino child’s right to be protected from sexual exploitation, it’s the corresponding obligation of the government and society to facilitate and fulfill this basic right,” said Colin Davis, deputy representative of UNICEF.

The Child Wise Tourism Campaign is the culmination of almost a decade of partnership between the Australian Government, Child Wise, and ASEAN countries to protect children. This partnership resulted in initiatives to uphold children’s rights, including implementation of child protection laws, improved law enforcement, heightened monitoring and surveillance combined with police and industry training.

The program is also supported by Department of Justice (DoJ), the Department of Social Welfare Development (DSWD), End Child Prostitution, Child Pornography and Trafficking of Children for Sexual Purposes (ECPAT) Philippines, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Boracay, and the Philippine National Police.

Why launch the event in Boracay? In 2006, ECPAT did a study that proves that aside from being a top tourist destination in the Philippines, child exploitation does happen in Boracay, along with other sex trafficking cases. However, CST is rampant in all parts of the country. This is why it is very important that the whole community acts against it.

Filipinos need to orchestrate a concerted action to change attitudes, customs, and practices that perpetuates these acts. We have to invest human and financial resources to enhance the capacity of children, families, and communities to respond against CST. And most importantly we need to ensure that the essential services for recovery and reintegration of child trafficking victims are all in place.

Campaign materials including billboards, stickers, and posters will begin appearing in hotels, airlines, airports, and tourism and police offices in prime tourist destinations in the Philippines. Protecting our children from sexual exploitation is everybody’s responsibility. If you see anything that makes you uneasy or raises your suspicions call 0919-777-7377. Authorities will carefully investigate the situation and act if the crime is being committed.

We can act to stop these child-sex tourists. We can all help protect children and stop child-sex tourism. –JACKY LYNNE A. OIGA, Manila BUlletin