Motels_Becoming_Cheap_Sex_Locations

Motels promote premarital sex and illegal affairs. Motel as a term is a shortcut for “motor and hotel” or “motorists and hotel”. By definition, it refers to a single building of connected rooms whose doors face a parking lot. Aside from the orientation where customers have access from rooms to parking areas, motels differ from hotels by way of interacting with guests. While hotels provide the best customer service possible, motels leave certain anonymity between the owners and the occupants. Also, motels are usually located along small roads as opposed to hotels that are situated at urban areas. The set-up and location could be the reasons why motels became ideal places for “illegal” affairs. Our common impression of a motel here in the Philippines, is that it is a short-time hotel offering short-time stay at per hour rates to people who want to have sex. And this is no longer unknown to Filipinos. When we find out someone checks in a motel, the notation is that that person is going to have sex, and most likely, it is an illegal or a premarital affair. This is but obvious because married couples need not to go in such secret places just to have sex. And motels do cater secrecy of identities and privacy, making them really inviting for illegitimate, premarital and extramarital sex acts to take place. One out of four Filipinos aged 15-24 are engaging in premarital sex, according to a study by the UP Population Institute. This year’s study also says that close to 4 million youngsters are engaging in premarital sex with 30% of the respondents doing it in their own homes while 18% were doing it inside motels and hotels. Motels make it easy for youngsters to engage in premarital sex, and the implications in these people’s lives are really great. Studies, family life, focus, these are all affected. In the Philippine context, motel is somewhat an unwelcoming establishment to some of the Christian Catholics and some other conservatives and religious sectors; unlike in the Western culture where motels are not seen as a sinful place for immoral deeds. And according to Catholic priest Robert Reyes, “The practice promotes illicit and pre-marital sex that often leads to broken families and sexually-transmitted diseases”, referring to the short-time, cheap offers, and non-strict admissions practiced by motels. In Angeles City, particularly in Balibago, motels and short-time inns are all over the place. In locations such as Discovery Motel, Balibago Village Motel, Diamond Court, Miyabe Court and most if not all motels in the place post banners and placards stating promos like “P300 for 3 Hours”, “P240 for 1 Hour”, or what they call the short-time or short trips. Obviously, who would check in a motel for such short amount of time just to rest or sleep' This promos are very convenient and of course, enticing in the eyes of those with illegitimate affairs, and worst, students and minor couples. Aileen Aquino, who once went to several motels for the haunt of her missing sister who was thought to be kidnapped, said that in those motels she and the policemen went in, students from the big universities in Angeles City (in uniforms) were checked in. Oscar Mariano, a service crew in Balibago Village Motel, mentioned about the “privacy rule” of their motel that when customers checks in, you should not be looking at their faces and you should let their vehicle straight in the unit’s garage and then close the gate. And so, in this rule, the employees cannot determine those minors checking in. Mariano even mentioned “hindi na namin alam kung sino yung pumapasok, bata man o matanda” and that they have no right on who to admit or not. Mariano even encountered a glimpse of nursing students and other students checking in. But added that most of their customers are old men along with young women, which he noted as “yung mga may kabet”. Marzha Legaspi, desk clerk of Discovery Motel, said that all clients checking in obviously would have sex, and those promos they have of 3-hour rate and 1-hour rate were purposely made to attract motel-goers. Legaspi also mentioned about the standard operations in their motel and probably in other motels too: (a) when a clients vehicle enters, one of the gate’s unit should be automatically opened, (b) and when the vehicle enters, the gate should be closed, (c) you cannot peek inside client’s vehicles, (d) when they call to check out, a bell boy comes in and take the money, provided, they should not look in the face of the client, and then gives the change, and open the gate before the clients come out of the door. Indeed an ultimate privacy and anonymity, implying that acts inside motels are illegitimate, and motel operations are like easy-pass in doing illicit sex acts. The case in Diamond Court is different, the manager refused to be asked questions regarding the motel’s operation, even when we pre-informed her that the questions are for scholastic purposes and non-controversial. But still, we raised queries regarding the admission of students and minors in their establishment; she reacted differently and immediately called the owner to mention about our question. Then she told us that they cannot divulge such information. And with that, it is but understandable that they do admit students and minors in Diamond Court. If they have nothing to hide, they could just instantly answer that they do not admit such people. And if proven true, this is clearly an illegal act. Erwin Daculug, 25 year old, and a motel customer when he was single, mentioned that motels are indeed convenient especially in young couples who do not have the chance to fulfill their sexual curiosity at home or other places due to parents scare, or lack of privacy. But now that he already matures, Daculug shares that going in such places is an unrighteous idea, it drains you with money which is suppose to be used in other important matters. And in motels, people come and go. You do not know who used the room before you do; you are not sure of the safety and the cleanliness, especially those who offer really cheap prices. Sadly, the Supreme Court (SC) declared as legal and constitutional the “short time” offered by motels in Metro Manila to their customers, but which has been denounced by religious groups and activists as one of the main causes of rising immorality and even criminality in the country. The Court believes that the ordinance has curtailed “legitimate sexual behaviors among consenting married or single adults” inside motel rooms, which are “constitutionally protected.” The ordinance also needlessly restrains the operation of the businesses of the motel owners as well as restricting the rights of their clients without sufficient justification. But on the other hand, according to the Republic Act 7610 Article VII, all establishments and enterprise which promote or facilitate child prostitution and other sexual abuse, child trafficking, obscene publications and indecent shows and other acts of abuse shall be immediately closed and their authority or license to operate cancelled, without prejudice to the owner or manager. We hope the government would do something about these.