Piring: A stage play about child pornography, human trafficking

CEBU, Philippines - Child pornography has been defined under federal statute as a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit misconduct.

The depicted children are placed in harmful situations including the contraction of sexually transmitted diseases, rape, assault, and both physical and mental torture.

A solution to end child pornography has not yet been reached, but changes have been made in the way that it is viewed and handled. There are strict laws against both producing and obtaining child pornography. Hopefully these are serving as a powerful deterrent, but nevertheless, the crimes have not stopped.

Here in Cebu, child pornography has become a known dark secret. The city and the provincial governments are yet to come up with concrete and long term solution to this. Child pornography seems to be just like any other petty crime so it gets less attention. Until the day comes that it causes major turmoil here in the city, legislation will never be enough.

 “Piring”

This season, Focus Productions and Services proudly bring to the stage “PIRING” (blindfold) - a reflective portrayal of one of the most controversial issues in our country and the world today - Child Pornography.

It shows the interplay of how poverty and parental influence greatly affect a child’s well-being.

It is in this light that “PIRING” will hopefully serve as an eye-opener and move to propagate and wield a child’s basic and fundamental rights - the right to education, a healthy environment, and the right to live and to be loved.

“PIRING” is written and directed by Mr. Loyd Wilson Sato.

The play will be staged on December 4 (Sunday), 2011 at the Pacific Grand Ballroom of The Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino at 7:30 pm.

Synopsis

The play starts with a video, shot in a “casa” depicting a 13-year-old girl being ordered to strip naked in front of a computer and a web cam for profit. Deemed by the public and government as unlawful and inhumane, it will be raided by a group of policemen, taking all the abused children to a government facility for protection and refuge. Perlas is one of those children.

A rather affluent and posh engagement party will take place as the curtains open. Here we meet Anne, one of the main characters of the story. She is a licensed nurse and a graduate student mastering in Social Work...

Things are about to change as Perlas' and Anne's world will collide. As part of her thesis and under Dr. Lim’s supervision, Anne is tasked to observe and investigate Perlas’ life. The first meeting won’t be as easy as Perlas resists opening up to Anne – finding it hard to understand Perlas’ predicament.

As the play unfolds the theme progresses to a battle between what is real and what is not. Anne will eventually be able to appreciate some things in her life, and will see the true purpose in pursuing Social Work while Perlas, on the other hand, will reveal not only her own story, but the stories of real people around her that are often untold, kept, covered.