An Evaluation Study of Marillac Hills’ Programs on Child Prostitution

Abstract

Children are the weakest and most vulnerable members of a society. They are supposed to be well taken care of, well-fed, properly schooled, and taught moral values. They should be seen in a scenario where their growth and development are given emphasis, where they are protected from any harm, danger, abuse, maltreatment, exploitation, and discrimination, where they are given privileges because they are children, and where their rights are properly delivered and enforced. However, this scenario does not match the situation and condition of some Filipino children. Many Filipino children today are suffering from child labor, many have become street children, some are in situations of armed conflict, and some have become lured into sexual exploitation or prostitution. The agony of these children seems not heard by the concerning people such as primarily the parents, the government, and even the ordinary people. Among these difficult situations, child prostitution or commercial sexual exploitation among children could be the most difficult one. Aside from physical and sexual abuse, they also experience moral and psychological problems due to the situation they are being indulged in. They are being traumatized by the experience of doing things and being in an environment where they are not really supposed to be. These experiences put these children in a situation where they almost lose self-worth, trust in people, and importance in life. It becomes very hard for these children to forget their painful experiences and to look for opportunities where they can go back again to a normal living. In this light, the researcher is perplexed on how these children, at their very young age, are being engaged in prostitution, how they become affected by the situation, and how the government is exerting efforts in combating this problem. It is a problem because the children are not supposed to be in this kind of hazardous environment. They should be in school and they should be enjoying the leisure of being a child. To answer the questions in mind, the researcher decided to pursue a study on child prostitution in the Philippines, particularly in Metro Manila, and to determine if the government’s programs on this problem is already implemented. In relation to this, the researcher tried to find out special programs of the government for the so-called child prostitutes. She was able to locate one rehabilitation center for child prostitutes. It is under the mandate of the Department of Social Welfare and Development. This center is called Marillac Hills which runs for almost three decades now, providing special services and programs for the rehabilitation of girls who have been sexually abused and sexually exploited. The main goal of the study is to determine the effectiveness of such rehabilitation programs on child prostitutes. Its specific objectives are to describe the conditions of these children under the custody of the DSWD-Marillac Hills; to determine if they have recovered from the trauma which will eventually lead to their rehabilitation; and to identify some non-governmental organizations and how they coordinate with the DSWD programs regarding this matter. The study discusses the origin of child prostitution in the Philippines that could be traced back in the colonial period, particularly during the Spanish colonization. It also discusses special laws that covers the issue of child sexual exploitation or child prostitution. It also has a chapter about the child prostitutes, on how they become lured in prostitution, and how they were rescued and brought to Marillac Hills. This study has also given special emphasis on the programs of Marillac Hills as the national center for sexually abused and exploited girls. It utilized data gathering methods like interviews and surveys on the 20 respondents or clients of the center to establish the basis of evaluation. Through the interviews and survey, the researcher has found out that among the 20 respondents, or the representatives of the clients of Marillac Hills, most of them come from provinces, illegally recruited, and come from low-income families. Most of them insisted in coming to Metro Manila to find better jobs and to help their parents sustain the needs of their families. But when they have already arrived in Manila, they found out that good-earning jobs would be like selling and capitalizing on their young bodies. Fortunately, their pain and suffering inside prostitution establishments such as bars, clubs, and brothels, could be ended. The police rescue operation would save these young girls’ lives from being totally destroyed. After the rescue, these girls are brought to Marillac Hills to be provided services such as social service, homelife service, educational service, health service, psychological service, spiritual service, and practical skills service that would help them recover from their experiences in prostitution and make them normal, sociable, responsible and productive individuals again. Throughout the study period, through visits, observations, and interviews, the researcher has come up with the conclusion to her initial questions. She has now concluded that although child prostitution is a very concerning issue because it deals about children, there are still some efforts that try to combat it. It is the government’s effort through its programs in Marillac Hills and with the coordination of some nongovernmental organization that makes the possibility of reducing the incidence of child prostitution, and at the same time, rehabilitating some child prostitutes and providing them opportunities to be normal individuals again. The respondents even confirmed that the services offered to them in Marillac Hills helped them a lot. Therefore, I conclude that the programs, though sometimes inevitably falling short, are basically and effectively meeting the center’s objectives that are to help the clients recover from trauma and stress; and to tap their potentials of becoming productive citizens.