Manila: City of Vulgar Prudes

In certain contexts, just like how “Filipina” is defined elsewhere, Manila has become synonymous to sex.

But for the longest time, people in this city have turned a blind eye to any evidence of it—despite the rampancy of sexually-charged billboards of showbiz icons on national roads, streamers of motels promising the best value for so little, girls in bikinis dancing on noontime television daily. Even a sign on a Philippine jeepney that reads: “I am not responsible for anything lost in this vehicle. Including virginity,” does not stir much civil alarm and complaint. It’s as much a shocker as it is an everyday thrill for the fun-loving Filipino.

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