BAGUIO CITY (PIA) – The Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) cautions tourists and visitors planning their vacations in the city to stay vigilant against booking scams.
Police Major Marcy Grace Marron, BCPO public information officer, advises visitors to exercise caution and ensure that they are transacting with legitimate accommodation providers in the city.
“Personally, i-check na lang nila. Huwag silang mag-deposit agad ng pera kung hindi sila sure kung legit ‘yung accommodation or transient na ‘yan,” Marron said.
She added that the visitors may also check the Baguio Visita through visita.baguio.gov.ph.
Hotel and Restaurant Association of Baguio spokesperson Andrew Pinero also advised the travelers to check the legitimacy of establishments and booking platforms thoroughly.
“Ang paalala lang natin sa kanila, if it is too good to be true, that is a scam and if ‘pag minamadali kayong magbayad halimbawa and wala namang payport rail na ibinibigay sa inyo, then magduda na kayo diyan. Better yet to check the list of the Department of Tourism, the list of the city government of Baguio on those legitimate establishments. Mag-ingat po tayo sa mga scammers,” he said.
Pinero also said that accommodation bookings in the city are beginning to fill up. He shared that since October, they have recorded 98 percent bookings on weekdays, and they expect this trend to continue this weekend and into the new year.
“Inaasahan natin na ‘yung bakasyunista will start to arrive kasi patapos na rin ‘yung mga pasok sa eskwela. So, we’re expecting our visitors to arrive probably this weekend and dire-diretso na ‘yan after new year,” Pinero said. **DEG-PIA CAR
