‘Sex tourism rampant in Cebu’

Cebu is not only famous for its crystal-clear waters or rich cultural heritage, but it’s also unfortunately known for its reputation as an alleged “sex tourist area.”

Lawyer Stephanie Tan, a legal officer of the Children’s Legal Bureau (CLB), said child trafficking has become extremely rampant in Cebu, one of the country’s top tourist destinations, with five reported cases in this year alone.

“It is because of the widespread usage of the internet among the youth that sex predators will take advantage of in order to lure these innocent children,” said Tan in yesterday’s 888 forum.

Among other factors is poverty, which drives parents and children alike to commit these inhumane acts to earn a quick buck, she said.

From 2010 to 2014, there had been at least 61 kids aged 14 below and 123 teenagers aged 15 to 17 years old who had been trafficked out of the 1,002 millennials based on the statistics of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Of the 1,002 people from the five-year duration, at least 41.32 percent of them or 414 kids are being used for prostitution and 36.62 percent or 387 of them are used for sexual exploitation.

The Academy for Educational Development, a non-profit organization in England, identified the Philippines as the source and travel nation for human trafficking activities with approximately 20,000 to 100,000 child victims trafficked.

“The mere fact when an unrelated child is accompanying the adult is already deemed a criminal act,” Tan said.

As of present, most of these cases were reported in the towns of Cordova, Compostela, and Sante Fe in Bantayn Island, and the cities of Naga and Talisay.

ERADICATION

EFFORTS

Moreover, CLB, a nonprofit organization, works towards its vision through its programs, such as Laban Bata that is focused on rendering development legal assistance to children in the Cebu which includes not only the handling of cases but also the conduct of paralegal trainings and advocacy.

In response to this alarming disturbance, the Cebu Against Sex Tourism (CAST), a network of local government units (LGUs), government agencies, and other major stakeholders advocating the goal of the eradication the ungodly practice in Cebu.

“CAST has 4 clusters: the north cluster, south, middle and provincial. We ask the community to report cases on sex tourism. They report it to CLB,” said CLB Project Coordinator Earl Tapayan.

“CLB will decide if a search-and-rescue operation is needed. If there is an arrest, social worker of DSWD will monitor the victim’s after-care,” he added.

Formed in 2002 and activated in 2016, the Cebu Court Appointed Special Advocate or Guardian Ad Litem (CASAGAL) Volunteers Association, was formed so that it’s easier to help and guide these children and help facilitate especially through the process and cases.

“CASAGAL handles the child victims and their families. They will assist the social workers for the court hearings. After the volunteers are trained, they will take their oath as a judge and take the case,” Tapayan said.

Aside from conducting seminars and trainings, Tan also encouraged private establishments, such as hotels to inform the CLB should they ever encounter something out-of-the-ordinary between unrelated foreigners accompanying younglings.

“We also include internet cafes and remittance agencies to the list. There is a specific penalty for hotel owners if they don’t report child trafficking. Soon, we will be having a conference with 30 different hotels and other establishments,” he said.

However, she underscored the fact that parents themselves should take the initiative by educating and guiding their children to be wary at all times and not get involved with strangers.

The act of trafficking is in violation of Republic Act (RA) 9208 or the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2003.