Thinning Hair, Thickening Plots
Prostitution and Retirees in Clark's Complex Shadows
"How old do you think she is?", I asked my local Philipino journalist friend.
"Barely 16, if not younger" - I had to stop myself from interfering.
For legal reasons, I can't confirm any of these guys paid for any services nor that the girls here in the Philippines were paid for any services. Legally I'll even say that none of these pictures are even real and the story is false, any resemblance to real people is purely coincidental. But I'll let you, the reader think.
The redlight district of Clark, Philipines
"Thank You for Your Service"
Clark, an American airbase from 1903 to 1991 hosted many American soldiers - some of them returned after retirement. No longer to defend American interests, but to engage in illegal prostitution, swarming the redlight district day and night. Which is not just illegal because prostitution is officially banned, but it's especially illegal in regards to their age...
When I visited Clark in April 2024 I was amazed to be one of the only foreigners with a full head of hair - for now... (I'm 31 now)
While most of this is publicly known, a 75-year-old man I met in a restaurant told me that over the past 30 years, he'd gathered plenty of information; many of the guys here are former military, FBI or CIA. He told me that they either marry a 20-year-old or just 'hire' whatever they need. All pictures were taken at or around the red-light district. I struggled with the ethics of it but decided that exposing these practices is worth more than protecting people's privacy.
Some clothing items remind us of the job background of the guys - ex-military.
The bald and the burdened
In order to mentally process this phenomenon, I decided to photograph bald guys day and night, secretly, so the picture quality isn't the same as my other work. Take a closer look at the faces of the guys and the faces of the girls.
I wonder what goes on in the minds of the guys. Are they so obsessed with sex that they are willing to push morals to the side? Not keen to settle down?
The foreigners simply walk into the red light district and walk (or drive) out with a girl. Sometimes one had to pay at the bar, and other times one dealt with an 'independent contractor', meaning the girl was without a pimp who 'managed' her.
Based on the fact that the area was full of hotels that advertised "3-hour" stays, a lot of the 'action' happened right on the spot.
While working on this article I was approached 16 times (!) just outside the red light street with direct requests to 'rent' a girl. She pointed at her own body and then pointed down while biting her tongue "Want me?". Upon declining "I'm sorry, but no", she answered "What about my friend?" - pointing at her equally tightly dressed friend. "You want to fuck?", She asked. "Sorry, I don't do these things. But I very much respect you though", and I went back to the conversation I was carrying on with some of the locals.
That same evening I asked the locals what they thought of this 'cultural phenomenon'.
"I hate it, these Americans are just coming to take advantage of the women here, but I have my own problems to worry about. Everyone knows about this problem, but the girls need money, our economy is not strong",
a taxi driver waiting for another customer told me.
"They pretend like they own the place and can do whatever they want. I don't even drink, we are good people in the Philippines, but bad things happen everywhere. I work here every day in my coffee shop and then travel back to the province. I also study - it's not easy to earn money in this country, but I'm happy with my life. What do I think of the girls? I'm just hoping none of my family members will be like them"
, A 24-year-old gay guy at the coffee shop told me. He had approached me for a chat as there were very few customers at midnight.
Their services came in all shapes and sizes. From very short services, I saw a Frenchman walk hand in hand with a very beautiful Philipino woman with long hair and saw her back - freshened up - in the corner with her fellow prostitutes less than 30 minutes later. (I guess he didn't last very long). I couldn't photograph them.
... To long services, where you just pay the girl to be with you as a girlfriend of some sort in a sugar daddy situation. Costs vary wildly.
The dirty laundry
"So why did you come here?", I asked the roughly 75 year old American man in a restaurant
"Girls", he quickly said
"So you are trying to get married?", I asked
"Not exactly, I've been coming here for more than 30 years, always have at least 6 'girlfriends' ", he confidently said while opening up his phone and messaging a few of them.
"It's a shithole, but it's got what I need", he said
"So why come to Clark?", I asked
"Well, get to speak to white guys like yourself and I can get a girl within 5 minutes, plus - I like them a little ... younger.. everything's available here!"
A look at the poster I took in a brothel in the red-light district proved his point. You really can get anything here, seemingly also children below 3 years old. Which falls in line with evidence, more evidence, more evidence, and even more evidence. And that's just what got reported and ended up in the media. The locals told me more stories of babies getting raped and dying.
Law enforcement is lacking, and with so much money going around, it's safe to assume they've been bought off. A story from outside Clark that I encountered was from an NGO in the north - I was told that most teenage pregnancies were not from teenagers getting their first surge of hormones but from relatives getting their hands on girls. In one specific case, the parents even agreed to let the father continuously rape their teenage daughter. Prosecution is difficult as, with the father in jail, the family would have no income and starve. The social worker came up with a plan to get her out of there, but it has yet to be proven successful. In rural communities, it's a big problem. And with abortion inaccessible in the country, a large number of children are born.
Some of the retirees who decided to visit the red-light district. I did find one or two who still had ... some... hair.
The girls
With an average salary of just single-digit euros per day, many are forced to find other employment opportunities. There have been many reports of trafficking, but some of the girls are self-employed freelancers. A quick look at the photos by my Filipino contacts shows that the girls come from all over the country. It makes sense, as social pressure and shame wouldn't allow them to operate within their own village.
The girls all had their own stories about why they were there. It's in the culture of the Philippines to help out your family if they are struggling. Many men go abroad and work on cruise ships or in the Middle East, and a lot of women work as maids or domestic helpers. Most of the money is sent home in the form of remittances so their family can live. In a hostel in Taipei, I encountered a Philippino prostitute who was in it for the money, the luxury lifestyle and the items she could afford with that. That specific encounter is another story, better suited for the book.
Some of the girls in Clark looked like they had had children, with stretch marks on their exposed belly. Others had family members to support and had no other employment options than this.
My journalist friends overheard some of the girls talking in Tagalog.
"Oh a new customer, he's Korean I think maybe Chinese! I'm so excited he's here! They are easy money and have a small dick",
a girl in a very tight and short dress told other Filipino women.
Other conversations were just simple small talk, gossip and some laughter. They found humanity in this situation. It shows that no matter the conditions, humans will find a way to get comfortable, even in this highly uncomfortable job.
'Bald' and bankrupt
Some of the guys get so hooked on hookers, they'd pawn their last shirt to get more prostitutes. These pictures were taken within the space of 24 hours.
He would later get into the McDonald's and cause a scene before the security guy kicked him out and he would continue sleeping on the pavement - saving money on housing.
Real love?
Not all the foreigners that reside in Clark, Philipines visit prostitutes or take advantage of the economic situation of the locals. Some genuinely want to find love, and not 'fake love' that ends after you pay for it. I saw a handful of international couples who seemed to be approximately the same age and found comfort in each other's arms.
This couple looked like they had been together for a long, long time and he was taking care of her now that they were both older. I had seen them kiss, so she couldn't have been the mother of his girlfriend.
This man had been here for 3 years, and the woman beside him wasn't 20 but more like 40 - would she have been with him if he wasn't rich (for Philipino standards)?
Indeed, some stay within their age and start a family with a Pinay. They are some of the sweetest and kindest women on the planet from what I've heard.
I don't have to tell my readers the story of The birds and the bees, but from sex eventually comes pregnancy - unless you get a vasectomy like I did. There's a village nearby with lots of half-Philipino half-white children. Only occasionally the biological 'father' stays behind. At least this foreigner spends time with his child.
Gift or curse?
My job is to question everything in life and find nuances, as reality isn't black or white - usually many shades of grey.
While the foreigners are clearly taking advantage of the economic situation of the girls and were called 'Sickening disgusting pedos' by some early readers of this article, they bring a lot of money into the area. I saw many guys who spent their entire income on these women. And some of that money does end up feeding their families - moreover, the money circulates through the city and brings many people much-needed jobs. Quite a few women are here on 'their own free will', if you can say that, and some end up being able to extort a lot of money from the guys.
We can argue about the ethics of it, but I've come across stories where a guy kept sending money to the girl to 'spend time with her', and she kept asking for more money. Her 'brother' who lived with her was the one pushing for payments the most, I had my doubts that this brother was really her brother. While I'm sure some guys find true love there - for others, it's pure lust that got them to come here. The 75-year-old man told of his friends that he drinks beer with, they all switch between half a dozen girlfriends. He warned me to never get married in the Philippines
"Because if you marry here, your money stays here - the Filipinos are always two steps ahead!", the 75-year-old man said
To cope with this situation I joked to myself that they should just take the money they spend on prostitutes and get a hair transplant in Turkey.
My opinion, however, is that I think it's a curse and the people that do it should be punished for their crimes. Prostitution is illegal and so is underage sex - especially in their home countries.
But because these aren't prostitutes, but "comfort women", they can seemingly get away with it.
My apologies for the sub-standard photo quality of some of the photos. I didn't want to be caught photographing these people.