STEP UP CHECK ON GRO’s IN NAGABicol Standard. The city health office headed by Dr. Vito (Butch) Borja is conducting double time effort to check Guest Relations Officers or GROs in night spots and other entertainment places to reduce the possible spread of sexually transmitted diseases or STDs.
Borja admitted recently that out of 289 GROs who regularly submit to smear tests at his office, 49 have been found to be positive with various STDs.
A city health official task force has been going the rounds nightly for surprise inspections at disco clubs and karaoke bars to check whether GROs around have already been issued clearances of being STD-free.
Borja, however, said his inspection team is finding it hard to go after commercial sex workers who have no permanent addresses but manage to continue their "profession" through pimps who solicit customers in hotels or even in the streets at night.
Some of them use "padyaks" and others wear school uniforms to woo their male customers with the help of their pimp accomplices.
The city health officer also cited cases wherein some married women who drop by his office for check-ups have been affected with STDs primarily caused by philandering husbands who hire prostitutes.
Borja further disclosed that there is an increasing number of GROs in the city because of the expected influx of tourists and other visitors during the forthcoming Penafrancia festival in the city.
