Ermita - Street Scene - June 2012

A June 3, 2012 newspaper article, under its Metroline section, was titled "Cops save 6 teens from pimps".

Details were: Six teenagers, aged 16 to 19 and two of them pregnant, were forced to sell their bodies in front of a hotel at the intersection of Roxas Boulevard and P. Burgos Street. A pedicab driverr and his wife were the couple forcing the teenagers. They were saved at around 3:30 pm.

My map indicated that the intersection has the Manila Hotel on one corner and Rizal Park on the other side. This part of Padre Burgos Street should not be confused with the Burgos Street in Makati.

By the way, a jazz enthusiast guy told me that the jazz in the Manila Hotel on Friday nights, 9 pm, is the best he has heard in the city.

This intersection of Roxas Boulevard and P. Burgos Street is walking distance to the neighborhood of Ermita.

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In Ermita, there are other locations for streetwalkers.

Available girls, transvestites, and gay men can be found on Pedro Gil Street in front of Robinson mall, about late afternoons and early evenings. One has to look carefully for them among the mass of people -- walking into and out of the mall and outside the mall going to catch a jeepney, taxi, going home, and shopping.

Other nearby street spots for the same include: the intersection of Pedro Gil and Adriatico streets, in the late evenings due principally to the live music on the sidewalk, presented by the restaurant Chef Quarters; and the intersection of Pedro Gil and Mabini streets, in front of the Hyatt Hotel. Near the last street spot, by a half block, is Executive Plaza Hotel, recommended for the newbie.

The latter two intersections also have pimps, who lure foreign men to nearby ktv's, a few massage parlors, and a couple of take-out cathouses.

Streetwalkers, especially young girls, are not recommended. A few years ago, there were stories of men with young girls being stopped by cops, who extorted them for tens of thousands of pesos or more to avoid arrest. Although I have not heard of such stories lately, one should be cautious.

Some guys claimed to love the street scene, at least in other countries.

Of course, Robinson mall inside has its own life, including several women on the prowl for customers.

Looking at the Ermita street scene, it is chaotic and varied from block to block. It is basically an area for the poor, but it also has a lot of government buildings, many colleges, some office buildings, many hotels for both tourists and local residents, more high-rise condominums, many employment agencies, many currency exchange businesses, restaurants, and cheap eateries. A sizeable amount of nightlife businesses is located south of Ermita in Malate, on/near Remedios Circle/Street.

Ermita used to have many expat clubs and bars, far more than Angeles City. But, clubs with girls on stage were closed by Mayor Alfredo Lim in the 1990s. But, Ermita still has ktv's, which are primarily aimed at Korean and Japanese males who can afford the higher prices. Some visitors remember the old days and come to Ermita looking for past glories.

Luckily, there are a few bars for the expats, namely Manila Bay Cafe (formerly, LA Cafe) and G Point, and to a decidely lesser degree, Bar Amazonia and Bar 28. Smaller bars might be worth an occasional look, as well as three take-out cathouses (a fourth one closed over a year ago, due to an increase in rent). Of course, taxi's lurked outside Manila Bay Cafe, anxious to take a customer to take-out cathouse located near Makati, or to an over-charging ktv on Roxas Boulevard in the vicinity of Edsa Road south towards Airport Road.

Nearly every block has a 24-hour convenience store, either 7-Eleven or MiniStop, and every one of them has beggars of every size in front of the door.

Many streets have families sleeping on cardboard, especially in front of boarded-up buildings.

During the day, sidewalk vendors walk along sidewalks selling leather belts, sandals, sunglasses, umbrellas, bird whistles, old coins (fakes), watches, viagra/cialis, guitars, etc.

During the afternoons, other sidewalk vendors set up little tables along Pedro Gil street, selling socks, dvd's, games, food, etc.

Tourists also walk in the area, probably drawn by the many hotels and several pension houses used by the backpacking crowd.

Local men and women frequently will call out "friend" several times to a non-local person walking by alone. A friend might be asked for some money or invited to a home for a friendly card game to lose money and/or laced drink.

Muggings have occurred, but reports have been sporatic. Best known location is the corner of Mabini and Padre Faura streets, near G Point bar, usually after midnight. They are snatchings of jewelry and whatever is hanging on your belt. Other dangerous areas include Del Pilar and Mabini streets in the vicinity of Padre Faura street.

The latest wrinkle in muggings is a gang of 10- to 12-year old boys, who surround a male tourist and grab at whatever is in his hands and pockets. Surprising that a Western visitor allows a pre-teen to get close and even grab an arm and hold on. Good defenses include: not letting them get close -- by walking out into the street, coughing in their faces, swinging a rolled-up magazine/umbrella back and forth, twirling your belt buckle in a figure 8 or circle, jabs with your pen/key.

In summary, the street scene in Ermita is not like a street in a big city's business area or a walk in the woods. Instead of doing sudoku to keep your mind alert, walking safely around Ermita can do the same.