Angeles city is perhaps the hub of the sex tourism industry in the Philippines, making Fields Ave. the lynch pin to that hub. In One city block there are over 40 bars which contain on average 75-100 Filipinas in each. That is 3,000 – 4,000 women for sale on one city block… Let that sink in before moving on… Rachel and I visited a handful of these bars this last weekend and had some memorable experiences. One involved a woman named Gen.
Gen is a waitress. Although she says she is not for sale. She wears a tag with a number on it just like the hundreds of other women in Atlantis Bar who are. I struck up a conversation with Gen after attempting to order a Cherry Coke (another long story). I started the conversation with the question “How much does that girl cost?” She replied, “That one costs 3000 pesos, she is a ‘model.’ The girls wearing white tags are cheaper, only 1500 pesos.” “Ohh,” I said, “How does that make you feel to know she costs more than you?” I made her nervous with my questions I could tell. She replied timidly, “Well she is more beautiful than me.” After her response she gained a bit of confidence back and asked me, “Why? What do you think?” It was the question I hoped she would ask. Quickly I replied, “I don’t think Filipinas should be for sale at all!” She laughed and said, “Oh no they aren’t for sale, they are for rent!” We both laughed at that comment. Her because she thought she side-stepped an awkward conversation, and me because I knew that these were just semantics.
I reminded her that she had just told me their prices and that she herself believed one human being to be more valuable than another. And it was her response that will forever stick in my memory. She looked me in the eyes and asked with the most confused look on her face, “Who are you?”
What Gen saw in me that night was life, and without a doubt this was the first time she had experienced anything like this in that God forsaken, hell hole known as ‘Atlantis.’ With a few words I began to re-order the chaos that has been allowed to exist since the United States Military first began exploiting women a 50 years ago. I Reminded her that people are not to be bought or sold, and that God values all humans equally. I told her that God forgives all the girls in that bar right now, but retains the sins of the wealthy men who own and patron such places.
As we left I reminded Gen that I was powerless to stop this industry, and that ultimately it would be her and the hundreds of girls dancing in front of us that would have to bring this industry to its knees. I am sure Gen is back at work tonight, but I am confident in the ability of truth to penetrate darkness. Gen will not be the same because she had an encounter with the living God. How do I know? Cause I was there too!
