NOT FOR THEM. Valentine’s Day is not for hospitality girls or sex workers. This according to Noy Ando (not his real name) who has been a Papa San to a lot of hookers for many years. He told an Ear informer that on Valentine’s Day the girls don’t earn much as most of the menfolk, including their regular clients, have dates with their wives or girlfriends. “Mao ning mga clients nga maarang-arang mamayad,” Noy Ando said. He explained that customers like trisikad drivers, dockhands, balot vendors, etc. whom the girls shun on normal days manage to score (“maka-score”) on Valentine’s Day. “Agwantahon na lang aron makasapi bisag sensiyo,” he said.
PLUS FIFTY. A domestic tourist told The Ear that taxicab drivers operating near the beach resorts in Mactan Island charge a P50 add-on to the fare that’s registered on the meter. “All the taxi drivers do this,” the tourist said. “The problem is most of the cabbies announce the add-on while the car is already on its way to the passenger’s destination and it’s too late to complain.” When advised to complain to the LTO, the domestic tourist (who said he was from Negros Oriental) said: “Complain sa LTO? Hago-hago lang ta, wa silay mahimo.”