Senator Raffy Tulfo has called on the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to investigate the 'extremely high' prices of tickets for international concerts in the Philippines, including K-pop performances. During plenary debates on the DTI’s proposed P12-billion 2026 budget, Tulfo highlighted that VIP tickets for K-pop girl group Blackpink reached P19,000 in the Philippines, compared to around P11,000 in South Korea. Similarly, VIP tickets for BTS member J-Hope’s Manila concert soared to P22,000, while they cost about P14,000 in Indonesia. Senator Imee Marcos, sponsor of the DTI budget, agreed, suggesting that organizers may be earning excessive profits. She also called on major ticket platforms, such as SM Tickets, TicketWorld, and Live Nation, to explain the high costs, noting that steep prices prevent young music enthusiasts from enjoying concerts. Tulfo also cited Coldplay’s recent concerts, where tickets cost roughly P5,885 in South Korea but shot up to about P15,000 in the Philippines. 'The Philippines always leads when it comes to the most expensive concert tickets. It should be fair,' Tulfo said. The senator urged the DTI to coordinate with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to track scalpers, which may also contribute to inflated ticket prices. 'We always have the advantage… Of course, we all want to be the one on top, but this time, I don’t want us to be the one on top.'
