Friday, January 22, 2010

Diaspora and Flesh Trade

“Beloved, I urge you as aliens and sojourners to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against the soul.” 1 Peter 2:11

Jane::   Hi
Man :  What's your your name?
Jane:   I am Jane Lim
Man:   Jane Lim, and what country would you be from Jane Lim?
Jane:   Philipines
Man:   The Philippines, the islands?
Jane:   I'm in the Manila where the parties are...
Man:   Manila, very cool. How long you'd been here in the United States?
Jane:   A year.
Man:   A year? Are you enjoying it so far?
Jane:   Yes, and I ended in porn (laughing)
Man:   And you ended in porn, how did it happen, tell me
Jane:   I put my resume on sexyjob.com and that's it and a lots of people called me to shoot with them
Man:   Wow, so basically you're enjoying the porno business so far?
Jane:   Yes
Man:   And how old are you by the way
Jane:   35 year old
Man:   Wow, she looks younger for 35 years old, doesn't she, you're still younger than I am, hey can I see your..(censored due to explicit words)

I cannot stomach the next scenes as Jane and her male porn partner begin to undress, and stand naked.. I press the Stop and Eject button of my DVD player and destroyed the DVD disc  Nobody should see this movie, and I ask forgiveness if I have offended Thee for the sinful video that I have seen.

And above conversation was a true self confession of Jane Lim, a Filipina (not her real name) during her interview as part of her commercial porn video which was send to me by a friend from USA who personally knows Jane too. A horrifying revelation which depressed me and my family because she is a family friend when she was still here in Doha.

My family met Jane on January 2005 through friends, she was an entertainer, a band lead singer  performing nightly in famous hotel in Doha. We used to watched her and her band perform and couple of times we invited the during Filipino community gatherings. She used to come with my family to attend our Friday mass too.

It was mid 2005 when she met Joe (not his real name) a white American expat working in a US firm based in Qatar. He was educated and seems to be a decent man and started courting Jane.

After a year, they get married, Jane agreed to her husband's request to end her singing career and start her new role as housewife. Despite of their interracial marriage, their bond seemed to work perfectly. Me and my family has been invited for several occasions for dinner and barbecue parties in their luxurious American house in an exclusive Executive Village in Doha.

But in 2007, her husband decided to resign from his job and the couple flew to USA  for good. It was a tearful farewell. When she arrived in US, we exchange emails and messages on the wall which  later became occasional and finally the communication has come to a halt. I assume that she got a very busy job and probably enjoying the life of a Pinay immigrant breathing the air of freedom and vast opportunity of  America.

Along the avenues of an imaginary love that provide empty promises of permanent migration to rich countries now circles the globe and haunts our desperate Global Filipinos, the cost in destroyed lives has become a blight to rival any of the depredations mankind has inflicted on itself.

I ask God why did it happen to my friend Jane and  how many of our kababayans around the world who are in search for a better future ended in  flesh trade, sex slavery, prostitution and porn business. When will this end? When will they find help, comfort and justice? And when will they find true love?

I pray to the Almighty to touch the hearts of my friend Jane and other Filipinos who are hooked and trapped in the dark hole of prostitution and pornography around the world. May they find courage to resist and cease toying with the occasion of sin and that they may realized that their bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, destined someday for a glorious resurrection.

May God's grace give  our Global Filipinos the audacity to become spiritually stronger to resist all forms of temptation for which have strayed them from the path of salvation.


“Avoid immorality.  Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the immoral person sins against his own body.  Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own?  For you have been purchased at a price.  Therefore, glorify God in your body.” 1 Cor 6:18-20

13 comments:

  1. I could imagine the shock painted on your face Pope while watching it. But what a story! Or could it be her hubby peddled her for a profit with her consent? In the US, rarely could you hear cases of sex slavery without consent of the "victims". She might be enjoying her new job. But this story makes sad reading.

    Even here in Saudi Arabia, this vast trade is lucrative among compatriots. This is the grim reality.

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  2. You are right, I feel numb and motionless when I saw her on video, it was really shock. I suspect that her husband peddled for profit, and in a Western world it is no longer a crime but rather a consensual transaction.

    Lack of education, monetary gain, tolerance of government, racial discrimination and isolation and lost of Faith are the factors which could have pushed her to take that kind of job.

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  4. It stunned me and had goosebumps when I read your post, I pity on Jane's fate but at the same time no one is to be blamed except her. She may love the earthly desires more than her pride or herself. Although there maybe reasons behind it, it's still unacceptable in the eyes of God. Hay buhay nga naman.....

    By the way, I even heard that a lot of Pinays who work on US base as housekeepers in Doha even make a living by trading their flesh too with Americans.....pretty scary. How come they are not contented of what they have for a living? Minsan nakakaawa talaga sila but "you know" sila ang gumagawa ng fate nila eh. (pero sana lang walang mang akit sa asawa ko pagdating dyan LOL).

    Have a nice weekend Pope!

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  5. i like your post for today!!! keep them coming!!! they're very inspiring!

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  6. Hay biglan naman akong nalungkot! Sana maisip ni Jane na hind lamang sa tinapay nabubuhay ang tao.

    Hays

    Ingat and God bless

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  7. @ Sardonyx

    About the housekeepers, I assure you it's purely rumors, I got so many friends in the US Base facilities. Your faith and trust with your hubby is enough to have strong relationship.

    If you need further adivce and querries about Qatar and its lifestyle, you could e-mail me at popishpope@yahoo.com.

    @ Mommy EK

    Thank you for your regular visits, you are my one of my daily blessings.

    @ Drake

    My family is praying that may she find God's way to Salvation.

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  8. Nakakalungkot isipin na madami ang taong kumakapit da patalim para mabuhay....

    Madami rin ganyan dito sa macau... Kung alam lang sana ng pamilya nila sa pilipinas kung gaano ang sakripisyo nila para makapagpadala lang ng dolyar mula sa isang gabing aliw... pahahalagahan sana ng mga ito ang bawat sentimong kanilang matatanggap... Ngunit kadalasan ang alam nila ay nagpapakasarap ang mga ito sa ibang bansa mula sa dolyar na kita kaya ganun na lang ang paglustay sa pag-iinom o pagbubulakbol at minsan ay pag-aadik sa droga ng anak man o asawa o ibang kapamilya... Nakakalungkot pero madami ang may pagkakahawig sa storya ng mga ito...

    But in contrary... they are all in control of their future... it's only that they made a choice that will wound them for a lifetime....

    Nobody has the right to hurt or cause you pain... Unless... You let them...

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  9. Grabe nakakalungkot naman pero isa itong buhay na katotohanan, at nangyayari everywhere. Dito sa UAE at mas matindi sa emirate ng Abu Dhabi at Dubai, dami nating kababayan na nabubuhay sa ganyan. Hay buhay.

    Sana maliwanagan ang kanilang isipan at piliin ang tamang daan ng pamumuhay.

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  10. I'm a bit affected by Jane's story, but then I thought it's her choice. Whatever her reasons are, I guess she knows the consequences of her action.

    My prayers go to her.

    What I would be really be against is seeing children being peddled for sex. Not the kids, please, never the kids!

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  11. faces of life... different angle, we are just too lucky and blessed we're not in her shoes but still it's too disturbing and i guess humiliating knowing kapwa ntin.

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  12. Mahirap mag-comment sa mga ganitong mga pangyayari. Di natin alam kung bakit kailangang harapin ng isang tao ang ganito. You even commented why it has to happen to her.

    I remembered a relative asked me why God allowed bad things to happen to one person. I only told her one thing, there is always a choice - they have chosen the easier path. God doesn't want bad things to happen to one person but that person chose that life so it happened.

    Sadly, it's things like these that make us realize how blessed we are.

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  13. sad... dunno wat to say really... am juz gonna keep prayin' for them... Godbless! -di

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