Visiting the Philippines and want to know more about the sex scene in Davao?
Davao is the largest city in the Philippines by land area and covers around 944 square miles with a population of approximately 1.65 million people. After Manila and Quezon City, Davao is the most populous of regions in this archipelagic country. Although often overlooked in favor of more popular destinations in the Philippines, Davao City offers some amazing beaches, nature parks, night markets and cultural landmarks. The city itself is a blend of its mixed heritage, embracing Spanish colonialism with an influence from Japan and China as well as modern Western styles. Though far less busy than Manila, its nightlife is pretty vibrant and you can find all manner of bars, clubs and adult entertainment.
In this guide, we take a look at the state of the sex industry in Davao.
Prostitution in Davao
Prostitution is illegal in the Philippines and carries strict and severe punishments for those involved in organised sex rings, trafficking, coercion and pimping. However, sex can be found for sale across the islands and, in Davao City, there are plenty of places where prostitutes ply their trade.
The country is estimated to have around 800,000 prostitutes working and (based on proportional density) Davao City should have at least 10,000 sex workers providing services in the area.
The most common forms of prostitution in Davao are:
- Street prostitution (or via online advertising)
- Freelance prostitution in bars and clubs
- KTVs
- Erotic massage parlors
- Illegal brothels
- Escorting
The price you pay for services depends on where you pick up a prostitute but can start as low as around 2000 PHP ($36) for short-time with a bar girl (less if you want a quick blowjob) to $30-$50 for a room service at your hotel. Some escorts do charge more but this will depend on where you book them, the type of service they offer and the quality of what they are offering.
It is worth bearing in mind that picking up in a girly bar is not just a case of paying for sex and you will need to factor in the price of admission (not always applicable), girly drinks, your drinks plus the cost of a bar fine. However, if you budget a price of $40-$60 for sex in one of Davao’s bars then you won’t be too far off the mark.
Prices for picking up on the streets can also be a bit inconsistent but is usually around the 1000 PHP ($20) mark. Again, you will need to factor in a cost for a room if you can’t take her back to your hotel or don’t have a car. Sex does happen on the streets but is not recommended.
Overall, the prostitution market in the Philippines is worth an estimated $6 billion to the economy and remains a big industry, despite being illegal. For this reason, the practice of sex tourism is largely tolerated as long as it remains discreet and does not conflict with any other misdemeanors such as drugs, underage sex or criminal activities. The advice seems to be, ‘keep your nose clean and your head down’ to stay out of trouble.
Davao Escorts Guide
The escort scene in Davao is nowhere near as big or as varied as it is in Manila and there are very few websites that have a good coverage (in English). By far the widest choice is that offered by the classifieds site, Locanto. Other international directories have just a handful of listings each.
It is less common for girls in Davao to be using online listings in English as most of them find work through local guides including hotels and taxi drivers. There is also a market for advertising online for the locals.
Prices vary a lot with some girls looking to charge $100+ but many more being available from $50-$100 per hour.
Sex in Davao
Finding sex in Davao City is not hard and you have a range of options available to you. By far the most popular is in the girly (or bikini) bars where you can often get a service on site and, for most foreigners, are the closest you can get to a brothel. There are also erotic massage parlors that can provide happy endings plus the ever-popular KTVs. Aside from this, there are freelance and street prostitutes available in the cities clubs and bars or from the streets.
Brothels
Brothels (also known as casa) are illegal in the Philippines and you wont find any bordellos like those you might find in Europe, Australia or Las Vegas. Instead, there are some underground brothels which service some of the local trade and they are not generally regarded as safe places for foreigners to visit. Instead, visitors can try the services at a girly bar or erotic massage parlor.
Erotic Massage Parlours
There are lots of massage salons and spas in Davao but not many will provide you with an erotic massage or a happy ending. Most are legitimate massage parlors that offer only therapeutic services. However, there are some options available and even at the above-board venues, you may still be offered a manual service depending on the masseuse.
The cost of a handjob will be around 1200-2000 PHP ($22-$36) with a further 1000-2000 PHP ($18-$36) for extras such as oral service or (rarely) full sex.
You can expect to tip around 100-200 PHP ($1.80-$3.60) for a basic massage with an extra 300 PHP ($5) tip for a happy ending. Very few girls will also be open to providing a full service and you should definitely tip well for.
You can find some others in the same locations as the girly bars in the Poblaciaon District. Pelayo Street and Iñigo Street are good places to head.
Girly Bars & Bikini Bars
Like a lot of cities in Asia, there are bars where you can go to be both entertained by erotic dancers as well as enjoy the companionship of girls at the bar. Sometimes paid by the venue or just freelancers, the attention of these girls can be bought for the cost of a few ‘lady drinks’ and then simply negotiate for any ‘extra’ services you require.
Unlike the go-go bars in Thailand, these are not strip clubs and you wont find topless or nude dancers. However, the girls are dressed provocatively and you will get to see more than what, at first, seems to be on offer! Certainly, don’t be surprised if you see more than you bargained for if you peer too hard into any dark corners.
Most of the girly bars are located in the Poblacion District with city’s best clubs being located along Rizal Street, San Pedro Street and Iñigo Street
There are plenty of good bars and the best advice is to stick your head in first to check out the ambiance and the selection of girls before choosing a bar to stay in. You will quickly be served a drink and then you can sit back and watch the dancing and then either wait to be joined by one of the available girls or beckon someone over to you.
Admission to a girly bar in Davao is usually around 50 PHP ($0.90) with drinks costing around 50-100 PHP ($0.90-$1.80). On top of this, you will pay a charge of roughly 300 PHP for any lady drinks you buy.
If things escalate, it is also good practice to tip bar girls with the following being standard:
- Short time service – 500 PHP ($9)
- Long time service – 1000 PHP ($18)
- Blowjob – 300 PHP ($5)
Outside of the Poblacian District you can also find some girly bars in the Davcon Compound along F. Torres Street.
Nightclubs and Freelancers
The nightclubs are definitely where much of the action is at in Davao and although they do attract a lot of tourists, you can also sometimes pick up a freelance prostitute. There are no guarantees at these kinds of venues but given the slim pickings in much of the rest of the city, they are a good place to fall back on for an evening.
By far the best nightclubs in Davao are the Alcatraz Penal Bar on Sputnik Street and the Acropolis Superclub on C. Bangoy Street.
Other clubs worth hitting up, are:
- Dream 21C, DMSF Drive, Bajada, Davao City
- Wav Entertainment Central, C. Bangoy Street
- Club Echelon Davao, 6th Floor The Peak gaisano mall PH
- The BEEReaucracy Bar, Polo Street
- Stre3ts Urban Lifestyle Pub, Loyola Street
- Hot Legs Nightclub, San Pedro Street
The Alcatraz Penal Bar is one of the more popular nightclubs and is known for attracting ladyboys as well as freelancers.
Karaoke Bars/KTVs
KTVs remain a popular way to spend an evening in Davao and these karaoke bars combine the best of the Asian ‘hostess’ culture along with all-night singing. Whilst many KTVs are family friendly, there are some where you can get more than just a duet with your mistress of ceremonies.
The following KTVs have a good reputation for having a great selection of ladies.
- Cleshan KTV, KM 7J.P. Laurel Avenue (Lanang)
- Dox Hub, 22 J. Dela Cruz St
- T. Music Lounge & Ktv, Quimpo Boulivard , Ecoland (Davao )
- Sandawa Ktv, Sandawa Street,Matina (Davao)
- Goddess Videoke Bar, Legaspe Street
- Diamond KTV, J.P. Laurel Ave, Agdao
- Mirai Karaoke Lounge, Legaspe Street
- Upside Down KTV, Plaza Roman
- ET KTV, Barangay Matina Aplaya
- Shangri-La KTV, J P Cabaguio Av
There are also some more ‘adult’ karaoke bars down on A. Pichon Street near the Davao River but most are quire run down.
Love Hotels
Love hotels can be found across the Philippines and offer travelers and locals the opportunity to rent a hotel room for a short period. They were originally popular for courting couples looking for some privacy from their families but have become synonymous with the sex industry as tourists use them for short-time loving with a hooker.
They are dotted around the city and can be easily identified by the billboards advertising ‘short-time’ room hire. If you pick up on the streets of Davao, you will probably want to use one as some international hotels do not allow guests to have companions in their rooms.
Swinging Clubs
There is not a big swingers scene in Davao and there are no clubs open to the public where you can a taste of the Filipino lifestyle. However, it remains a popular pastime for a lot of expats and tourists and you can find plenty of couples (and curious singles) who are willing to meet up in private.
Our advice would be to use popular websites such as:
Strip Clubs
There are no official strip clubs in Davao City as this kind of entertainment is prohibited. The only places where you can get a kind of strip show are located on San Pedro Street.
You can however find erotic dancing (and more) in the girly/bikini bars.
Fetish Clubs & BDSM
There are no fetish or BDSM clubs in Davao City but you may be able to find an escort online who can provide you with specialist services.
Ladyboys
The Philippines is well known for its ladyboys and, although the shemale scene is not as large as it is in Thailand, you can still find Filipino ladyboys in Davao.
Many of the girly bars also employ ladyboys plus freelancers do tend to head to the popular clubs.
Street Prostitutes & Red-Light Districts
There is no official red-light district in Davao but the majority of the girly bars are located in one area, the Poblacion District.
The international hotels also attract women around their entrances and places like the Apo View and Marco Polo hotels are common pick up locations.
The price of picking up a street hooker in Davao City is generally around 1000 PHP ($18) for short time but can be upwards of 2000 PHP for an overnighter ($36). The girls will always quote high to start off with, particularly to Western tourists.
Sex Shops
Sex toys are illegal in the Philippines and are banned from being imported into the country. The law is intended to protect the nation from the display and promotion of ‘obscene’ devices and implements that are designed to stimulate the genitals. Authorities believe that the public would suffer ‘disturbing effects’ that could ‘trigger sexually impure ideas and acts’ that could lead to ‘sex related offences’.
The law prevents sex shops from trading in the Philippines and it is forbidden to attempt to order toys from abroad to have them delivered within the country. That being said, there are no wide-spread reports of personal items being removed from luggage when tourists visit the country so your travel-toys should be reasonably safe on arrival.
You can find pornographic DVDs, a selection of basic bedroom toys and even sexual health supplements being sold on the streets of Davao but this is not common. Pharmacies do sell condoms, lubricants and you are able to get items like Viagra and Cialis as long as you have a prescription.
Otherwise, you are out of luck when it comes to buying sex toys in Davao.
Featured image via Flickr.