Manila - Area 51 - Nov 2010

One night a month ago, a taxi driver tried to convince to visit a club with a great show, called Area 51.

I never heard of it. He said that it was on Roxas Blvd, near the airport. I thought it was just probably another high-priced KTV on Roxas Blvd out to overcharge tourists and to lure them pays a high commission to a local guide. My second thought was that the driver might be taking me to a fictitious place as a setup for a robbery. But, I had not heard of this happening in the Philippines, unlike other countries. Nevertheless, I declined his offer.

On an early Tuesday night about 8 pm in November, I was in a taxi headed to the Edsa International Entertainment Complex and noticed that the meter was moving slowly. Honest meter. I asked the driver if he had heard of Area 51, a club on Roxas. He said no. I asked him to drive on Roxas towards the airport road.

Traffic was slow as we crawled over the overpass over Edsa. It was probably the buses parked on Roxas, bayside of the road, dropping off and picking up passengers going to or coming from the Baclaran terminal. However, it turned out a narrowing of the south-heading side of the road to two lanes was due to a lot of construction activity. What was happening - road construction or foundation for a new building?

On the city-side of Roxas, I noticed a lot of small tents set up on the Roxas-side of the access road. My driver said that Wednesday nights were Baclaran night. I guess it must be some sort of temporary night market.

Once we passed the Baclaran area, traffic sped up. As we got close to the intersection where Coastal mall is on the southwest corner and you would turn left to go to the international airport, there was Area 51 on the northeast corner. My driver did a 3/4 U-turn into the parking area in front of the club. I told him to wait three minutes for me.

At the club entrance, a doorman opened the door for me. Inside were two well-dressed young ladies sitting at a reception desk. I asked if there was an admission/cover/table/minimum charge? They said that I needed to speak to the manager. A Filipino gentlemen in his 30s came out of the main room leaving the door opened. I asked him the same question. He said to ask the girls. I guessed the girls were trained not to answer cost questions until a customer was seated inside a club.

They said the costs were 500 pesos for admission, plus 500 pesos for the show. I asked if a beer or drink was included? They said, no. I asked the price of a beer. They said, 140 pesos. I suspected that they left out an additional 22 percent, namely 12 percent for VAT and 10 percent for service.

I said, thanks for the information and would return when I had more money with me.

I took a quick peek inside the main room. It was a fairly large room with rows of seats for at least 100 customers. One male was sitting upfront center. One mid-20s medium-height girl was standing on stage, with a half-opened robe exposing a pair of small wide mounds of breasts and black panties.

As I headed out the club's front door, the manager handed me his business card. It read: Bernard, Manager, 0918 697 8057, #25 Roxas Boulevard, West Tambo Paranaque City, 851 3109, 851 3110.

I jumped into my taxi. I told the driver the costs quoted to me. He said that a taxi driver would get 100 pesos commission from the club for bringing someone there.

He drove me to the Edsa Complex. The meter read 50 pesos exactly. I paid and tipped him.

At 8:30 pm, Tuesday night, there were very few customers and the clubs were loaded with women. I had the pick of the litters. Vibrant images of rock videos were shown on the monitor instead of those mundane sports shown in Ermita bars. Sound systems were good with popular tunes. The 120-peso beer was cold. I was back in heaven.

Follow-up.

A news article in the Manila Bulletin, Saturday, May 12, 2012, carried the title, "Binay Presses Human Trafficking Fight".

It cited the following three establishments:

1. Area 51 KTV Entertainment Club, Roxas Blvd. The InterAgency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) conducted a rescue mission at Area 51 last month (April 2012). IACAT with NBI (National Bureau of Investigation, Dept of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), and International Justice Mission [probably the NGO mentioned in Cambodia raids and Angeles City raids].

They rescued 62 victims of sexual exploitation, of which 19 were found to be minors.

They arrested 7 floor managers of the club. Nine persons, including a Japanese national who owns the club, were charged with violations of two laws on anti-human trafficking and child abuse.

2. Boholano KTV Bar, Tondo, Manila.

3. Therese/Nakamura-Sakamura KTV Bar, Tondo, Manila.

For the last two bars, IACAT rescued four minors and apprehended seven persons, including the owners of Boholano bar.

Rescued minors were taken to the DSWD Halfway House, Marillac Hills, Alabang.

(Message edited by greengrasser on May 28, 2012)