CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia has ordered an investigation following reports that tickets for the Sinulog free concert were sold online, despite the city government’s clear directive that they are to be distributed for free.
The concert, featuring a lineup of popular Filipino artists like Juan Karlos, Kz Tandingan, and Tj Monterde, was held at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC) last night.
On Wednesday, long lines formed as residents eagerly queued for the free tickets, a scene captured on The Freeman’s Facebook page. The free tickets were intended to manage the crowd and ensure a controlled entry into the venue, which can accommodate up to 15,000 people.
However, later that evening, Garcia took to his Facebook page to reveal that an individual had been caught attempting to sell the free tickets online. In his post, the mayor said that it has come to his attention that there are people trying to profit from something that is meant to be free. Garcia emphasized that the tickets for concert are not for sale.
The mayor’s post included a screenshot of an online listing where an unidentified individual offered to sell “seven slots” for the concert. The post read: “Selling Sinulog concert [tickets] TJ Monterde and others in Abellana. For reservations only. Kayo mismo mag-claim ng ticket. Prefer sure buyer. Kindly PM or add me nalang. Last 7 slots nalang.”
In an interview with reporters on Thursday, Garcia said he had already informed the local police to address the situation. He also tasked Councilor Joel Garganera, head of the Sinulog 2025 security cluster, to investigate further.
“Ila lang tan-awon kung naa gyud namaligya kay di man gyud na for sale. They already know what to do,” Garcia said.
(“They will investigate if there are indeed individuals selling the tickets because they are not meant to be sold.”)
When asked about the possible penalties for violators, Garcia said the city government’s approach would focus on issuing warnings to emphasize compliance with the guidelines.
“Ato lang tingali tagaan og warning sa kapulisan, mao lang tingali,” he added.
(“We will likely issue warnings through the police; that should be enough.”)
Garcia admitted that the overwhelming demand for tickets exceeded their expectations. He attributed the large turnout to the return of the Sinulog celebration to the CCSC, its traditional venue, after several years.
He said this is the first time that a free concert has been hosted by the Cebu City Government, particularly under his administration.
The mayor clarified that while the Sinulog events are organized by the city government, the funding for the concert—including the artists’ fees—came directly from his personal finances.
“Kining free concert is sponsored by the mayor… ang Abellana ra atong gigamit but the payment of the artists’ fees, akoa ni tanan,” Garcia claimed.
(This free concert is sponsored by the mayor. While we are using Abellana [CCSC], I personally covered all the expenses for the artists’ fees.)
Netizens react to ticket-selling
The mayor’s post addressing the ticket-selling issue drew strong reactions from netizens. Many expressed frustration over the apparent abuse of the free ticket distribution system.
One comment read: “Sakto ang purpose nga naay ticket for crowd control. Pero, ang pag-distribute sa ticket pud ang walay control. Usa ka taw, tagaan og more than 1 ticket. How sure ta nga para na sa iyang kauban og tan-aw sa concert? Dako kaayo possibility nga ibaligya na. Ang mopalit sad, most likely, aware na nga libre ra ang concert pero tungod sa kagustohan nga makakita, willing ra na mobayad japon.”
Another netizen lamented: “Na mao na kami gapila ganina tas nahutdan mig ticket tas kani kakuha nag libre ipang maligya pa na, maka gaba raba na. Maka bitter ay.” – FPL (CEBU NEWS)