ILOILO City – Where have all commercial sex workers gone? Despite this city’s relaxed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) alert level, the sex work industry remained muted.
“Malaka. Gamay lang (ang) gatinir kada gab-i,” said Nestor Canong, head of the city’s Task Force on Morals and Values Formation, citing their night patrols at the usual “cruising sites” – the streets of Valeria, Mabini and Arroyo.
“Gina panghapitan na sila sang taskforce kag aton kapulisan kag gina-istorya nga magpala-uli na,” added Canong.
Mayor Jerry Treñas, through Executive Order 137-A, has allowed the reopening of more leisure establishments as well as consumption of liquor in public but for fully vaccinated individuals only.
But almost all night clubs in the metro’s downtown area – except for the two big ones – have yet to reopen, according to Canong.
Many of their employees did not return to work, he said.
“According sa mga managers nga naistorya ta, sugod sang pandemic sang nagsara sila, ang mga sex workers and employees nagpalauli sa ila mga probinsya as far as Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga, Davao, Bacolod City, and Cebu,” Canong said.
Others had a change of career. Some applied to malls and commercial establishments as sales clerks, while some ventured into small businesses, said Canong.
Those who remained on the streets were those who could not still find decent jobs.
“Sa aton pag-assess, daku gid ang epekto sang COVID-19 sa sini nga klase nga trabaho,” said Canong.
On the other hand, Canong urged sex workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 to be protected.
He added that some establishments require employees to get vaccinated before they can work.
Last year, as reported by Panay News, many nightclubs closed down due to the quarantine restrictions that made this city’s prostituted women and men – mostly non-residents of Iloilo – leave.
Aside from the lack of customers paying for sex, workers in the flesh trade were suddenly faced an awful choice between livelihood and health.
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, can spread from person to person in close contact through small droplets from the nose or mouth, and it can be fatal to the immunocompromised.
The taskforce has been discreetly monitoring the movements of commercial sex workers since the start of the community quarantine in March.
The task force chief clarified that prostitution remains illegal. But for a sector that has been historically ostracized, the coronavirus has meant sex workers find themselves in an even more difficult situation.
“Sa aton diri, sort of daw gina-intindi ta na lang,” said Canong.
Every time commercial sex workers were apprehended, said Canong, they would tell the taskforce, “Tagae bala kami sang disente nga trabaho para may mapakaon kami sa amon kabataan. Bayaan namon ang amo ‘ni nga obra.”
The city government is issuing “green cards” to commercial sex workers in nightclubs, beerhouses and massage parlors and “pink cards” for freelance sex workers after they are checked at the city’s Social Hygiene Clinic.
These cards guarantee their being free from sexually transmitted infections.
But these are not permits for them to engage in the illegal sex trade. Rather, this scheme compels them to regularly undergo examination.
This way, the city government ensures that they do not become a threat to public health, said Canong.
“At the same time, ining mga indi makapugong nga kalalakin-an nga nagakuha sang ini nga klase sang kababaenhan, maprotektahan man,” added the taskforce chief./PN
