ABSTRACT
The sex industry in the Philippines is changing rapidly. It is becoming increasingly complicated, with highly differentiated sub-sectors. Most research focuses exclusively on street prostitution and female sex workers with much less attention devoted to indoor prostitution and male sex workers. Male prostitution is a growing enterprise, and there is a noticeable incremental change from female to male trading of body, as a commodity. The study aimed was to provide a phenomenological perspective of individuals who actively involved in prostitution and identified their aspirations engaging in the industry. The province of Laguna is the main setting of this phenomenological study. Participants were the ten male student sex workers from private and public higher education institutions of the said province and were utilized snowball sampling and convenience sampling methods to locate them. The in-depth interview provided the lived experiences, reasons for turning to prostitution, and the aspirations of these male student sex workers. It was found out that lived experiences of these male student prostitutes were manifested in their hesitation as first-timers in the work and encountered disgusting sexual contacts. There were shocking revelations in the confessions of the participants that need attention. The research has shown that most of the participants exchange sex for money and poverty is the main reason for their involvement in the sex trade industry. The research proves that the phenomenon of student prostitution is common and requires a more in-depth analysis. Psychologically speaking, the participants are victims of a situation that took advantage of their weakness to easily give up their self-worth in exchange for acquiring the things they are deprived of because of the unfavorable circumstance. Suggestions for further research are made to expand the literature on how student sex workers who wish to leave "the life" can be supported.