Puerto Princesa Bishop Pedro Arigo. Photo from https://cbcpwebsite.com
MANILA, Philippines—A Catholic bishop has called on the government to act on the rising “sex tourism” in Palawan, one of the country’s more popular destinations for both local and foreign tourists.
Puerto Princesa Bishop Pedro Arigo, in an article posted on the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) website, said that Palawan faced an increasingly serious child exploitation and sex tourism problem despite the positive impact of the thriving tourism industry on the province and its people.
The bishop urged the proper authorities to show their determination in cracking down on sex tourism, which has emerged as an alarming trend in the province.
“Let’s keep eco-tourism as it is and not add immoral and malice practices to it,” Arigo said.
He called on the government agencies concerned to be more vigilant and address the growing problem. According to him, this was not a problem in Palawan only, but in the whole country.
“As much as possible, especially here in Palawan where eco-tourism is very popular, let’s keep tourism wholesome, healthy and clean,” the bishop said.