Legalization of prostitution: The Philippine perspective

Prostitution in the Philippines is illegal with its specific outlaw specifically stated by the Revised Penal Code. Sex for money is also frowned upon by society. The conditions are no different from that of the Netherlands, a country infamous for its Red Light Districts and sex trade. Similarly too, the Philippines has been the haven of “sex tours” which allowed foreigners to cohabit with women for a fixed price including airfare. The difference between the two however is that in the Philippines the incidence of child trafficking and sexual abuse has remained a big problem and so are STDs4, there is a steadily increasing number of prostitutes driven to come to the trade because of poverty5, and the sex trade has remained unregulated. In the Netherlands, the number of prostitutes is diminishing and so are sex violations. The incidence of STD remains no different from the community not involved in the trade, and the rest of Europe, and prostitution is regulated. A question now raised, is how a country like the Netherlands, who openly permit the exchange of the sexual act for money achieve the necessary benefits countries who outlaw prostitution seek to attain? Is there value in seeking to adopt similar policies here in t he Philippines? Should t he Philippines legalize prostitution