Last resort: the sex trade along the University belt

By Anne Judith Jamnague

*image courtesy of Google Images

HOW MUCH can you give to live through the day?

A day consists of 24 hours, just enough for your 8-hour job, 6-hour sleep, an hour for every meal, and the rest for other activities. Unlike others who utilize the entire day just to get something to fill their empty stomachs.

In the famous University Belt, the common man carries different stories about the having nothing; nothing to brag about but only themselves, and nothing to please but only themselves. Having nothing led these men to the path of the downtrodden– a callboy.

Within a mall located in Recto is an amusement arcade meant for kids to play during weekends and their free time; not likely what it appears to be as it is a playpen for young adults, adults, and even emeriti of different professions in search for delight to satisfy their cravings.

Benedict Aglipay, who wishes to hide behind the name Aries, is a 15-year old student from Tondo High School shares his experience while waiting for someone to approach him as he smugly admits his job of 'making one’s day'.

Other than the fact that he’s accustomed of living a hard life, he considers the activity a way to lighten ease the financial burden of his parents. As he enters his last year in school and towards college, this is the only way to finish his education.

“Like others, I want to have a degree. I want to improve my stature in life and live a comfortable life," Aries said in Filipino.

He started in this sideline two years ago when his father lost his job as a tricycle driver and his mother gave birth to his baby sister. A friend lured him to this job after saying that he will receive a high pay since he’s a kid, and queer customers often go for the young ones.

Aries revealed that his first time doing it was daunting; he felt like God never existed and almost cried while performing the act for a 30-year old gay. After the performance, he received 200 pesos, larger than his 50-peso daily budget.

Up until now, he got used to the profit that increases as he grows old and gets accustomed to the job.

"This is the only way to provide myself allowance for school," he said.

Asked if he would continue this after graduating high school, he answered yes at once."I would rather go for this than to work for a food chain where I might get a lower pay," he said.

Aside from him, his friend Pedro (Pedro Guevarra), also from Tondo High School and a year younger than him, is also in the business for the same reasons.

For him, his dream of becoming a pilot would only remain a dream, until an 'opportunity' like this came and gave him hope.

At a young age, he took over the place of breadwinner ever since his father's death. Left to look after four sibling, he and his mother functioned as 'parents'.

According to him, he had to be brave enough to keep it to himself and unwillingly do it for the sake of his kin.

"I always think of it as play, they pay me anyways," Pedro said.

He said that gay customers were even kind enough to give him food. As they got older in the business, he and Aries gained a lot of gay friends who just gave them money even without their 'service.'

Unlike the kids’ reasons of giving pleasure to members of the gay community, some look at it from perspective.

Jun (Jun Farinas), an 18-year old college student and basketball athlete from a well-known university in U-belt, does this for himself and his girlfriend.

This Caviteno sees the act of making gays happy a job; a job that he considers doing in school and not yet capable of working in the corporate world. Though he came from a well-off family, nothing stopped him from entering the sex trade.

“I do this for fun”, Jun said.

His family and girlfriend does not have any idea about his activities. According to him, he is doing this out of love for his girlfriend. To him, providing material goods to her show how much he adores her, although sometimes he uses the money to revel with college friends and play billiards.

He opted this over other jobs since it is the easiest way to get large sums of money, amid the threat of sexually-transmitted infections. After spending time in the sex trade, he got used to the company and enjoyed the acts of flesh-peddling.

After all, Jun is the typical tall, dark, and handsome guy that every female fantasizes about. His attractive appearance made him all the more appealing to the gay community, making his 'rates' more expensive.

According to him, he used to get a thousand pesos but recently, it was doubled and sometimes tripled by people who enjoy his services.

Apart from them, there’s still a number of their kind who indulge themselves with the idea of getting higher wages than working as a fast food crew or company employee.

With the country’s escalating poverty cases, boys like Jun, Aries, and Pedro resort to become a part of the country's sex trade to provide themselves financially and fuel their dreams of success. To them, life is an endless cycle, in order to be a part of it, they must do something.

As of today, our country remains conservative and takes prostitution as an illegal act unlike other Asian and European countries. The Church adheres to the commandments in monitoring our discipline and behavior. But nevertheless, the plague continues.