The red-light areas of Angeles City and Olongapo were both fuelled by the presence of thousands of US armed forces before their official withdrawal from the country in 1992.

Today, the effect of a centurylong stay by the US military is still being felt in the Philippines.

Not only were thousands of children fathered by US military personnel, but many of those availing of the sex trade are former navy or army officers who have retired to the Philippines. In Olongapo alone, it is estimated that there are up to 5,000 former US military personnel living in the area either full-time or part-time.

The Subic Bay and Clark military bases in Olongapo and Angeles City were the driving forces behind the sex trade in the Philippines. Although the bases were closed down in 1992, the thriving red-light districts they spawned remain.

Subic Bay is an area of Olongapo covering roughly 35km that was owned by the US military until their withdrawal.

The military withdrew in 1992 after the Filipino government declined to renew a treaty granting them ownership of the land. This followed a hugely controversial campaign led by the Preda Foundation, which is based in Olongapo, to have the land returned to the city.

Roughly 15,000 Filipinos were employed in the military base.

However, a further 15,000 were engaged in prostitution, which was driven by the presence of the US military.

Today, there are over 20,000 people employed in the various companies and businesses that have moved into the Subic Bay region, a statistic which justifies Preda's campaign. The number of girls involved in prostitution in the city has fallen to 5,000.

However, in a city of just 100,000 people, the figure remains remarkably high, especially given that 50% of prostitutes in the city are believed to be under 18.

After the bases closed, Preda was one of a group of organisations that filed a law suit against the US military on behalf of the thousands of children fathered by soldiers during their stay in the Philippines. However, the US courts ruled that, since the mothers were engaged in prostitution, they were breaking the law and, therefore, the navy and army had no responsibility towards them.