Seventeen's Joshua Hong reveals taxi scam during Manila visit, LTFRB releases statement

MANILA, Philippines — K-pop idol and Seventeen member Joshua Hong revealed in a live broadcast on October 2 that he paid P1,000, thrice the supposed fare of the taxi, when he and his mother flew to the Philippines last September. 

Hong, who was with the band last weekend for their two-day concert titled "Be The Sun" in Mall of Asia Arena, revealed that he and his mother had an unplanned, last-minute trip to Manila in time for the Chuseok or mid-autumn harvest festival. 

He had initially booked a flight for Vietnam but he had to cancel it because he did not know American citizens like him needed a visa upon entry into the country. He looked for flights that had available seats and found a flight bound for Manila. 

His holiday, however, was marred with mishaps. Apart from being scammed by a taxi driver, he also had difficulty withdrawing money from ATMs and he also did not enjoy the pricey dimsum he had in one of the restaurants he ate in.

“I’m not saying that Manila is a bad place to travel. I’m just sharing my own experience, and that is what sort of thing that could happen to you if you go on a trip without making any plans in advance,” Hong was quoted as saying in the live broadcast. 

He added that those who want to travel must always plan first and bring cash when traveling especially when visiting a Southeast Asian country.

Last Saturday, following Hong's revelation, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) issued a warning to Public Utility Vehicle (PUV) drivers against overcharging fares.

"Kailanman ay hindi katanggap-tanggap sa LTFRB ang ganitong panloloko ng mga PUV (public utility vehicle) drivers sa kanilang mga pasahero — lokal man o dayuhan (The LTFRB condemns this kind of fraud by PUV drivers towards their passengers, whether they are locals or tourists)," LTFRB said in its statement. 

The board stressed that it will fine and cancel the certificate of public convenience those who violate its regulations under its Joint Administrative Order 2014.

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