MARK RIVAS (not his real name) relied on his work as a transport network service driver to make both ends meet, so when the waist-deep floods of Typhoon Carina submerged his motorcycle one night in July, he was distraught.
Rivas, 29, used his earnings as a motorcycle taxi rider to support his college education. He was usually on the road for 12 hours, earning some P1,200 or P1,500 on a good day.
But when the typhoon damaged his vehicle, Rivas throttled towards what has become the dark side of ride-hailing applications: sexual services.
He became aware of it when he was still a driver for a transport booking platform.
“May mga sinasakay na akong mga bumabiyahe na offering sila ng ganyan, na kung pwede bang extra service habang naka-angkas sila sa’kin,” Rivas told The Flame.
“Pero that time, tumatanggi pa ko no’n kasi talagang rider lang ako.”
(I had clients who asked me if I offer these extra services while I was driving for them. But at the time, I declined their offers since I was only a rider then.)
A few weeks after his motorcycle was inundated, he gave in and assumed the role of “extra service” provider. He sealed a deal for a different kind of ride for P5,000.
From navigating through streets, Rivas had to work beneath the sheets with a total stranger, turning a blind eye on the risks that accompany what has been dubbed as the world’s oldest profession.
Rivas’ experience reflected an open secret about motorcycle riders biting the bullet of paid sex work as they traverse rough financial roads. Some drivers moonlight as prostitutes who offer pleasure rides on Facebook groups like “Angkas/Joyride Rider with Extra Service” and “Angkas Habal with Extra Service,” both of which have tens of thousands of members.
Online sex marketplace?
“[Looking for a] cute rider in QC (Quezon City),” a post would read.
Within minutes, dozens of alter accounts owned by users who do not divulge their real identities would express interest by responding in the comments section, often to ask for the post author’s details.
This is the typical scene in Facebook groups on extra services swarming with anonymous individuals who offer or avail sex services. The public group “Angkas/Joyride Rider with Extra Service” has over 57,000 members, while “Angkas Habal with Extra Service” has around 21,000 members. Both groups average more than 10 posts a day.
Charlie (not his real name), 25, frequents such groups for sexual encounters. He would look for nearby interested riders, wait for replies to his post and discuss transaction details through private messages.
“Usually it starts with details like age, location and gender, then exchange of pictures [and] agreement on how much (the offer stands),” Charlie said.
He would then seek the rider’s ID for motel check-ins.
“Then [we] meet up once we come [to] terms with our plans,” Charlie said.
Charlie usually offers P500 for “extra service” and spends an additional P300 for accommodation. According to him, riders would often turn down the proposal, as their prices are usually set at more than P1,000 and are doubled should the customer request an additional round of the service.
Some riders double the price whenever transactions with the same customer become more frequent, citing the need to pay for motorcycle maintenance and parking fees, Charlie added.
His aversion to commitment to a long-term relationship and the convenience of the platform prodded him to keep spending for sexual services from drivers despite their demand for higher payments.
“Kasi almost real time yung pagcha-chat. Unlike sa ibang platform ‘di agad nakakapag-reply…Nasa road na sila eh, madali nalang sila makapunta sa location,” he said.
(Because the chat is almost real time. Unlike other platforms that do not allow them to reply immediately. Because they are on the road, they can also quickly go to the location.)
Rivas shared the same view, citing the swift and effortless transactions enjoyed by those in online marketplace platforms.
“Ano lang, ‘yung parang nakikipag-chat ka lang ta’s mamaya go na, palag na. Alam mo ‘yung parang mga online marketplace? Parang gano’n lang. Gano’n kabilis ‘yung transaksiyon,” he said.
(All it takes is chatting, and shortly after, you’re sealing the deal. You know those in the online marketplace? That’s how fast the transaction is.)
Rivas said he would offer services ranging from P3,000 to P5,000, depending on the location of the meet-up and the negotiations done with the client.
Poverty drives sex work — expert
Sociologist Veronica Gregorio said the issue of sex work is structural and involves poverty, inflation and hunger.
“It’s really inflation [and] expenses…You earn P1,500 [per day]. If you’re a family of three or four, in one week, that will be gone [easily] if you want to have some decent food…More expenses would come in if someone gets sick, right? It’s not easy,” she said.
Gregorio, a lecturer at the National University of Singapore, said the drivers of ride hailing apps’ earnings may fluctuate because of the climate and peak hours.
“These drivers of ride hailing apps [show] there is a certain level of poverty involved… I think, definitely, it’s tempting when you’re really experiencing poverty, hearing such extra services, that you get P1,500 for one [extra] service and then you work six hours for P1,000.”
Chester (not his real name) is offering sexual services to provide food for his daughter and pay rent. He makes less than P1,000 for every sexual service because he is focused on his job as a rider for a popular transport network.
Once, Chester allowed someone touch his crotch for a tip worth P300. Other clients would instruct him to take a detour and head to motels instead, where they could engage in sexual acts that vary, depending on the preference of the customer.
For a box of milk, Chester was forced to endure a traumatic sex work experience.
“May isa ako nabigyan extra service na k******t ako malala,” Chester told The Flame.
“Need ko extra [money] that day para sa baby ko na nagre-request ng gatas at pangkain,” he added.
(I offered extra service to a person who f***** me badly. I needed the extra money that day for my baby who requested milk and food.)
“Ayaw ko na ng ganon. Ayaw ko na maulit yun (I do not want it to happen again).”
Kent (not his real name) a ride-hailing app user, said he began to offer sex work to cope with rising expenses, claiming his minimum wage job was not enough to sustain his needs.
“Basta minimum wage earner lang ako. Kaya ako napunta sa for hire dahil kinakapos din ako minsan, nase-zero balance,” he said in an online interview.
(I am just a minimum wage earner. I ended up engaging in sex-for-hire because I sometimes fall short [of money and I experience having] zero balance.)
Kent disguises as a rider despite not having a vehicle to drive. He charges P1,500 to P2,000 for his services — higher than the P645 minimum wage in Metro Manila — and takes a human immunodeficiency vius or HIV test every three months.
Touch me not
Motorcycle taxi driver Ferdinand Mojares (not his real name) only had sex with a customer once for P1,500, in amount equivalent to his daily wage.
“That is high!” he said, noting how others only receive below a thousand pesos for their sexual services.
“He wanted to…perform a b***j** on me…but that was it. The rest, I did not want to do, of course, because it’s hard.”
While some motorcycle taxi riders are aware of such services, they refrain from engaging in them for fear of contracting sexually transmitted diseases and losing their jobs.
Ride-hailing app driver Ricky Dulce (not his real name) said he had encountered people who view motorcycle taxi riders as “extra service” providers when he plied Metro Manila streets in the early morning. They include “prostitutes” who could no longer afford a ride home, he added.
“When they say, ‘Kuya, I can’t afford to pay the fare,’ I already know what it means. I don’t entertain them… What if I get sick?” Dulce said.
Riders feel harassed if passengers touch them maliciously without their consent.
“Even if the passenger is attractive, or unattractive, when you don’t want it, you don’t want it. [I would say] “Huwag, sir. Huwag mo ako anhin, baba na lang kayo, (Don’t do it, sir. Do not [touch] me. Just get off),” Mojares said.
Motorcycle taxi rider Christopher Napoles would warn passengers when their touches border on sexual hints. He said he has encountered passengers who would hold his chest and let their hands slide toward more intimate areas.
“When this happens, we tell passengers, ‘Sir, that is not allowed as the driver might lose focus and become involved in an accident.’ And that’s not allowed. You can drop passengers if they are persistent, when they don’t stop, you can dismount them even if you haven’t reached the drop-off [point],” Napoles said.
Dirty tricks
Charlie shared that he was once forced into a dubious deal during a meet-up with a rider.
“There was a time that I booked [a service] and I was catfished. He’s not the one who he claimed to be when we were talking, so I, with utmost respect,…rejected him,” he said.
However, Charlie was forced to push through with the deal after the driver bargained with him to carry it out since he had traveled a long distance to see him. Afraid to cause commotion inside the hotel, Charlie eventually submitted to the offer.
“Binayaran ko pa rin siya. Even though na ‘di wholeheartedly consensual ‘yung ginawa niya sa’kin.”
(I still paid him. Even though what he did was not wholeheartedly consensual.)
Although Charlie regarded the experience as traumatizing, he did not consider reporting the incident to the authorities.
Kent, who lives in Monumento, said he often gets scammed despite traveling long distances to meet clients.
“It’s hard because I expect to earn money on that day for my needs, only to get scammed,” he said.
The supposed clients, Kent said, would block him once he had reached the meet-up location.
Safety measures
In a statement sent to The Flame, MoveIt, Grab’s venture into the motorcycle taxi space, gave an assurance that it does not condone any form of inappropriate behavior by its riders and passengers.
“We hold ourselves to the highest standards of safety and professionalism,” MoveIt said.
“Any form of misconduct or inappropriate behavior by our rider-partners or passengers is strictly prohibited and promptly addressed. These incidents are taken seriously, investigated thoroughly, and resolved with fairness and accountability.”
According to MoveIt, its platform is equipped with features designed to ensure safe and secure interactions between riders and passengers. These include in-app call and chat, which protects personal contact details and securely archives conversations. The platform also has a safety center and feedback tools that provide riders and passengers with accessible reporting channels to MoveIt and, when necessary, to law enforcers.
“We remain committed to maintaining a safe, professional, and trusted community for all,” the transport service provider said.
The Flame contacted transport companies Angkas and Joyride and the transportation department for comment but they have yet to respond as of writing.
Incentives
Motorcycle ride-hailing applications offer incentive packages to drivers who meet certain performance indicators but such rewards did not stop the offering of “extra services.”
Angkas, which claims to have over eight million installs and a 99.997% safety record, offers a daily and weekly incentive program to provide additional income for eligible riders. Riders are divided through tiers calculated from their previous accomplished rides. The program, called “Drive to Win,” has prizes clustered to P1,000, P2,500 and P5,000. There are 100 winners every week announced through the Angkas Barkada MNL Facebook page.
According to Christopher Pible, who has only recently been an Angkas rider, the ride-hailing company also awards scholarships for riders’ children.
A father of three, he expressed hope that his children would be able to benefit from the scholarships offered by the company. He transferred to Angkas after working for Joyride because of the incentives. Pible never considered using the ride-booking platform to offer sexual service.
MoveIt offers rewards for riders that are collected on the 15th of every month with the Ka-Move It program. According to its website, the program offers five tiers for riders. The “Alamat” tier offers gas allowance, GrabFood and GrabMart vouchers and insurance.
“MoveIt provides competitive earning opportunities, flexible work schedules, and additional programs to support the livelihood of our rider-partners,” it said.
“Thousands of riders rely on MOVE IT for dignified and honest work, and their professionalism and dedication should not be overshadowed by isolated actions of a few.”
JoyRide has no published information about the incentives given to its riders, although it offers a low down payment package from Toyota financial services for new drivers.
There are no publicly available details on health insurances offered by Angkas, Move It and Joyride for their motorcycle taxi drivers.
“If they can offer [a] higher salary, of course everyone will be happy because that’s the root. There’s no money, the pay is low,” Gregorio said.
“These things add anxiety. [There is the] anxiety of being a gig worker having limited money, then you’ll get sick, there is a lot of problems, then there’s the opportunity to get quick money through sex work. It’s a tempting option.”
‘Victimless crime’
According to the Manila Police District (MPD), there are no reported cases of sex work involving motorcycle taxi riders in the capital city.
MPD Public Information Officer chief Police Major Phillipe Ines attributed the absence of complaints to what he called a “victimless crime.”
“There are no victims here. For example, I offered sexual services. Do I have a victim? None. Maybe I could be the victim myself.”
“We cannot deny, they really do exist… That’s their personal choice, whatever their reason is–whether financial or other reasons, it still remains wrong.”
To curb crime online, MPD anti-cybercrime team head Police Major Marlon Flores said his unit conducts cyber patrolling that monitors social media accounts and Facebook pages.
“Everything illegal which is available online, we engage with it. The registered sim card that is being sold, that’s not legal. The money servicing account that is registered to other people which is also used in scams, that’s illegal,” Flores said.
Police Captain Veronica Apresurado, the head of the Manila Police District’s Women and Children’s Concerns Section, said a complaint must be present to pursue a case.
“Prostitution is illegal. But it is like this, if there is no complaint, there is no case,” she said.
Apresurado said only one rape incident involving a motorcycle taxi driver has been reported so far. The incident, which was recorded by the Sta. Cruz police station, happened more than a year ago and targeted a student.
Apresurado said these types of incidents could be prevented by verifying ride details, traveling in well-lit and populated areas and having a backup plan before taking the ride. Passengers should also avoid telling riders their personal information to ensure their safety, Apresurado added.
MoveIt encouraged its riders and clients to report any behavior that jeopardize their safety so it could take “swift and appropriate action.”
“Together, we can uphold the integrity and values that define our platform,” the transport service provider said.
For Gregorio, the punitive approaches of authorities to such issues are questionable, as it would not entirely solve the problem.
“When you’re always open to punishing people, things will just go underground. And then you think you solve it because you cannot see it, but it will get worse,” the sociologist said.
“I don’t think it will ever disappear. Sex work, it will just transform,” she added.
Authorities, Veronica said, must focus instead on protecting the health and safety of sex workers:
“In a perfect world, no one should be forced to become a sex worker.”
Shifting gears
Rivas does not see sexual services as a permanent line of work. He hopes to stop sometime soon, perhaps when he graduates from college in the coming year.
“I am not happy with what I am doing but I do not have a choice,” he said.
He wanted to find a different job, but there are very few employment opportunities for a student like him. It also does not help that the application processes of some companies are tedious.
“Kaya habang nag-aaral ako…parang wala akong choice kundi ito lang (While I am studying, I do not have a choice but to do it),” Rivas said.
Chester shared the same sentiment, saying the cumbersome employment process puts him in debt.
“I try [to look for a job] but I lack [experience]. And there are a lot of processes you have to undergo before you get hired…The ending is you will be buried in debt before you get hired,” he said in Filipino.
“Ayaw ko maranasan ng anak ko na dadating siya sa point na [ganito] rin kapag lugmok na. Babae pa naman ito.”
(I do not want my daughter to reach this point if she is cash-strapped.)
Recently, Chester wrote in a Facebook post that he was looking for a client. He needed extra money to fund his job hunt.
“It’s urgent,” he said.
“It’s decent,” he said. F – With reports from Zoe Airabelle Aguinaldo
