Lim, Patricia Maria Angela D. Lecturer: Mr.

Julien Carandang
BS MGT June 9, 2014
11114614


Selling Sex In Heaven

Selling Sex in Heaven is a documentary that illustrates the situation of many Filipino
women in Angeles City, Pampanga. Once the location of the United States Air Force Base, the
city is one of the most active sex tourist spots in Southeast Asia, where men from different
countries can avail of cheap women and sex.

The most profound social issues that can be identified from this documentary include,
first and foremost, prostitution, poverty, and lastly, the abuse of human rights.

Prostitution

Simply put, prostitution can be defined as the practice of engaging in sexual activity in
exchange for money or other benefits. It is considered as a very old and universal phenomenon
(Merriam-Webster, n.d.), and to date, it is one of the subjects of debates in terms of legalization
and its implications to the society as a whole.

In many countries, prostitution is made legal and workers involved in the sex industry are
even considered as professionals and receive benefits from the government, such healthcare.
In the Philippines, prostitution is illegal yet it still very present in the society and sadly, it is being
tolerated. Women who work as prostitutes are not called as such, however, they are called
dancers, waitresses, and the most common, guest relations officers (GROs). Toleration is
prominent due to the continuous presence of brothels, KTV bars, escort services, and even
those who are along the streets. Prostitution and sex tourism, although illegal, can be a
booming industry in the Philippines, yet problems such as the spread of venereal diseases and
the deaths that result from it pose a threat to the society.

Raids that aim for the abolishment of the sex industry are usually being done, yet there
is no doubt that this issue will still remain unless such action is done consistently and the laws
prohibiting the practice of prostitution is well implemented. In the process of closing down sex
tourism areas, the government must be ready and able to provide, or at least assist, those who
are victims of prostitution and exploitation find work opportunities, counseling, and access to
education.

Poverty

Even though the government reports that the country is experiencing economical growth
and other advancements, poverty is still extremely widespread in the Philippines, and is an
issue that seems to be difficult to solve. We can see it in the slums of Metro Manila, and in
remote areas and far-flung provinces of the country. Most people live with little or no access to
basic necessities such as potable water, food, and shelter, as well as education and job
opportunities.

In the documentary, poverty is very well exemplified through the story of Mila. At a very
young age, she was forced to work as a house helper, until she was sold into prostitution at the
age of 17. From then on, she remained as a sex worker to provide for her family living in
another province. Mila could have had other options to earn money, yet continued to sell herself
for sex since it enables her to earn more in support for her family. On the other hand, poverty
can also be the cause of people opening or operating brothels and bars in the country, due to
high sex tourism and high earnings. Other than prostitution, poverty also leads many people to
commit crimes as a means of escape, and also seeing it as an easier way to earn money due to
the lack of work opportunities or knowledge and skills gained through proper education. With
this, a solution that can be drawn from this issue and its causes could be the government
prioritizing the funding for education and the development of more livelihood programs for the
Filipinos. The government should not cut budgets especially for education, since this is the first
step towards the development of the countrys workforce. Education will grant Filipinos with
knowledge and skills needed for work, which can help them qualify for jobs, and in turn, help the
Philippine economy in the long run since it is producing skilled and educated workers.

Another possible solution is to strengthen and support entrepreneurship in the country.
Entrepreneurs who establish their businesses can provide more jobs to other Filipinos, and
these entrepreneurs can also provide livelihood programs and aid for the poor.

Violation of Human Rights

The documentary clearly shows the violation of human rights, which is defined as the
are rights inherent to all human beings, whatever our nationality, place of residence, sex,
national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status. (Office of the Higher
Commission for Human Rights, n.d.). Present in the documentary are the abuse of women and
children, human trafficking, poor and gruesome living conditions, and racism and discrimination.

Women and children, as depicted in this documentary, are oftentimes forced or sold into
prostitution or child labor, suffering from abuse, which takes away their right from living a normal
and healthy life. People living in poor conditions are also shown in the film, such as that of the
family of Mila, and the women living in casas or brothels. Discrimination and racism are also
prominent as mentioned, since the foreigners in the documentary feel that their money makes
them powerful here in the Philippines, and that they can easily get cheap sex and women.

This wide range of violations may be difficult to monitor, but it is the duty of the
government as well as the citizens of the country to help fight the abuse of human rights. The
government must be more active in the protection of human rights in order to eradicate such
violations and prevent other occasions of human rights abuse.

















References:

Merriam-Webster (n.d.). Prostitution. Retrieved from http://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/prostitution
Office of the Higher Commission on Human Rights (n.d.). What are human rights?. Retrieved
from http://www.ohchr.org/en/issues/pages/whatarehumanrights.aspx