THERE are the rains, and the occasional thunderstorms.
I’m OK with the rain.
I like being in the water, and being touched by the rain.
It’s when lightning and thunders strike that make me get off the sea.
***
The White Beach front is not more than 50 steps away from my lodging in Boracay.
I run to the beach at all hours.
In my boxer briefs, in bare feet.
Sometimes, with a sarong for decency.
But other than that, I consider Boracay a nudist paradise.
I can go as naked as I want without causing a scandal.
***
At 5 a.m., I am already in the water.
I sometimes join my aunts.
They want me with them to take their photos.
I indulge them.
If they pay for my meals, what’s a little professional photography workshop?
***
In Boracay, I am okay with Nescafé stick.
My mom prefers Starbucks.
I’d do Starbucks if I am meeting boys.
So it can happen that I’ll have Nescafé stick at 6 am, and again still be at Starbucks at 10 am.
***
Because I am a gay man, I check my Grindr while in Boracay.
I get a lot of naked boys.
But they’re mostly escorts—“for hire, not for fun”.
Which again makes me correct about the prostitution in Boracay.
Of course, you may always contradict me.
But you did not have my Grindr convo.
And I can prove everything that I say in this column.
***
This is what you don’t want to hear:
An hour massage is P450.
With extra service, the price is P1,500.
What extra service is worth 200% of the massage price?
The answer, in quotation marks (because they don’t observe commas, and I think they mean foreplay when they say romance): “Romance, f*cking, sensual, lingam”.
Now, tell me this isn’t prostitution.
***
On the first night that I was on the island on this visit, I was preyed upon like the fresh meat that I am.
Of course, I ended up kissing someone!
I also ended up drunk.
Which came first, I will not disclose.
Too private! Haha.
***
Masseurs or masseur posers were dinging my Grindr app.
Oh, if I can just trust the photographed profiles and shared albums!
I can understand how life is difficult on the island.
So I am considerate about the natives making extra bucks as extra service boys.
But what shocks me are the imports (like Manila boys) who are reduced to prostitution to earn their return flights to Manila.
***
I mean, I also wouldn’t be so shocked if these are the young people who party at the ritzy places to hook some big fish.
So, now you understand why I walk with confidence even if I’m not the sexiest man in Boracay?
Because I have the money, I can think of the sexy boys as mere prostitutes.
And if they try to approach me, I flatter myself more.
***
This boy, 23, starts with a “Hi,” and in less than ten chat exchanges calls me ‘baby’.
Did he bother to check my age?
Or does he feel he could baby a 54-year-old?
I was already drunk when he started texting me telling me he needs cash.
His full escorting services is 3K.
Just to test him, I told him it’s a little pricey.
He immediately brought down his price to P2,500.
***
I was entertaining someone else most of the evening.
So he was dinging me so often.
In the morning, he started texting me at 4:30 a.m.
Do these boys even sleep?
***
I told the boy I got company.
That I’m staying in a hotel with relatives and friends.
“May alam po akong motel/ I know a motel” was his reply, and we could “check in” at P500 for three hours.
“Please hire me.”
“Papaf*ck po ako if u want/ I will let you f*ck me, if you want. Pwede mopo ako maging bottom/ I can bottom for you.”
So yeah, if that is not prostitution, I do not know what is!/PN
