Sex toys find niche in Church-influenced RP

In this predominantly Roman Catholic country where prostitution is illegal and the Church still wields considerable influence on the nation’s morals, it is a brave person who goes into business selling sex toys.

But a Filipino-Chinese woman who goes by the name of Pat has discovered a niche business which is booming.

Pat began her sex toys business a few years ago from a nondescript residential block in Manila.

Today her shop stocks around 200 items ranging from vibrators to the torso of a pig made from artificial skin simply called "Babe" which retails for around P10,000.

"It is not the sort of business many people in this country would go into," she said in an interview with AFP. "But I saw a unique opportunity and let’s face it, sex sells."

Her customers, who visit strictly by appointment, range from heterosexual couples and singles to gays, lesbians and bisexuals.

"We don’t discriminate," she said.

Now on line at www.sextoys.com.ph, business is looking pretty good for Pat with more than 200,000 page views a month.

Although she would not give details of turnover, Pat says business is growing at around 30 percent annually.

"Business is doing well," she says with a smile. While there are some back street vendors in the Philippines, Pat is believed to be the first with a shop or website.

One of her biggest selling items is a penis enlarger for P3,000 of which she sells around 60 a month.

"A lot of women buy it for their partners," she says.

Pat is already looking at expanding to other regional centers in the Philippines.

"Sex is not the sort of thing people in this country discuss openly. You don’t even see condoms openly displayed like you do in other countries," she said.

Although many of her customers are men "buying toys for their wives, girlfriends or mistresses," Pat finds women are starting to become more adventurous.

"I don’t see there is anything to be ashamed of with someone wanting to improve his or her sex life," she said.

Pat has delivered sex toys to a client in Muslim Sulu in the far south of the country while her most bizarre delivery was to a Philippine naval vessel off Mindanao.

She could not remember how the order was delivered or what it was "but it arrived and there were no complaints from the client."

Already Pat is looking to expand her business into new product lines such as uniforms and sado-masochism for the more adventurous.

She said many of her clients prefer to shop with her as they do not want to buy abroad and risk the embarrassment of having to explain to airport customs officials about the marital aids in their bags.

Pat said many of her female clients buy sex toys for a variety of reasons, one being that their husbands are no longer paying enough attention to them.

One item women buy for their men is a solution called delayer, which is supposed to prevent premature ejaculation.

"People don’t like to admit that they use sex toys but they do. There are a lot of people out there looking for these sorts of products," she said.

"At the same time our customers come from all walks of life and socio-economic background. People in the provinces will save just to buy a dildo or vibrator," she said. — AFP