ILOILO City – Some Dinagyang Festival complimentary tickets are being illegally sold – and exorbitantly.
Mayor Jose Espinosa III said he was disappointed that these “enterprising individuals” wanted to profit “from this grand opportunity given them.”
The Office of the City Mayor recently released 1,000 VIP Dinagyang tickets to select individuals.
But a screenshot of a message on the Messenger mobile phone application surfaced yesterday claiming that around 200 of such tickets for the Iloilo City Dinagyang Grandstand on Muelle Loney Street landed in the black market and were being sold between P1,600 and P1,800 each.
The message further claimed that tickets at the Maria Clara performance area and priced originally at P1,600 were being resold between P2,200 and P2,500 each.
“If these are proven to be true, then I am really disappointed,” said Espinosa in a statement.
The mayor said beneficiaries of the complimentary tickets were chosen with care.
“For them to sell the tickets for monetary consideration is truly disturbing and speaks a lot about their twisted values,” said Espinosa.
He ordered City Administrator Hernando Galvez to conduct an investigation.
“My office does not tolerate any form of monetary shenanigans,” said Espinosa.
The Iloilo Dinagyang Foundation, Inc. (IDFI) recently warned the public about scalpers – persons who resell tickets at a large or quick profit.
Do not patronize them, it appealed to the public.
These persons take advantage of others, said Joy de Leon, IDFI deputy assistant to the president.
The Dinagyang Festival highlights are today (Kasadyahan cultural contest) and tomorrow (ati-ati tribes competition).
“We will try to stop these scalpers. We ask for everyone’s help. Let’s not support them. Stop feeding the scalpers,” said de Leon.
Scalpers usually buy tickets in volume. They wait for the right time – when tickets have been sold out – to resell the tickets at a higher price.
“Some of scalpers are becoming very brazen about this. Naga-post na sila sa Facebook. Nagapang-contact na sila buyers,” said de Leon.
Sadly, there is no law against scalpers in the country, she lamented.
“Ang ticket price is printed on the ticket. Please do not pay beyond what is printed on the ticket. Buy only from authorized sellers,” said de Leon.
The official ticket prices are as follows:
* Iloilo City Dinagyang Grandstand – P1,700
* Quezon Street (main stage) – P1,600
* Quezon Street (left and right wings) – P1,200
* Plaza Libertad – P1,600
* Plaza Libertad left wing extension – P1,200
* Maria Clara / Aldeguer-Iznart Streets (main stage) – P1,600
Each ticket also has a corresponding seat number, said de Leon./PN
