PG Island has already turned into Black Island.

I have been working in a well-known chain restaurant in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, for 3 years and 5 months. I returned to China from the Philippines in January 2023. Before returning, I stayed in a resort on PG Island, operated by Chinese, for over a month, where I enjoyed diving, riding motorcycles, sleeping until naturally waking up in the daytime, running in the mountains to breathe negative ions, and spending nights in bars playing with the locals. It truly felt like a paradise on earth.

However, when I returned to the Philippines in December 2024 to visit old friends, everything had changed, and it was no longer the same. Everywhere was fraught with danger. Kidnappings, robberies, corrupt police extorting money. Out of nostalgia, I revisited PG Island. The resort was still as serene and peaceful as before. Waking up in the morning, I could step out and see the ocean. Although it rained lightly every day, I felt very relaxed. During my free time, I had many conversations with the operator, and I will summarize my observations and experiences over these 15 days here.

Part 1: The owner told me that PG Island had also changed. Now, many Chinese and Korean business owners, under operational pressures, have introduced large numbers of scam gangs that were driven out of Manila by the Philippine government and had nowhere to settle. These businesses provide these scam gangs with back-office spaces and logistical support including catering services, using their community and village committee's influence to shelter these criminal groups. Due to the recent influx of scam teams on PG Island, the cost of ingredients in the market has skyrocketed, along with the prices of various foods, beverages, and fruits, leading to significantly increased operating costs. Accommodation and dining prices have soared, making it difficult to attract tourists from mainland China, whose spending power is not as high as that of Chinese tourists in Manila. The owner mentioned that the number of customers they serve has nearly decreased by two-thirds compared to the same period a few years ago. Thus, the illegal merchants who shelter scam gangs have brought tremendous survival pressure to legally operating businesses, creating unfair market competition.

Part 2: As is well known, PG Island attracts many Korean tourists, and Korean restaurants are a major feature of the island. Being of Korean descent, I have no barriers in communicating in Korean. While dining in three different Korean restaurants, almost all the young Koreans were discussing their hope that their pogo companies could move to PG Island (these young Korean travelers are mostly pogo-related personnel). I also overheard some young Koreans who already have offices on PG Island quietly discussing their gambling business operations during meals. It was just like the conversations among Chinese pogo workers under the gambling buildings in Manila. My goodness, I broke out in a cold sweat. What is happening here? Isn't this a tourist area? What on earth is going on? Is this going to become the next Northern Myanmar?

Part 3: In 2022, I made a close Filipino friend on the island who rents out motorcycles. During our conversations, he told me about the changes on PG Island over the past two years. He said that now, many Korean pogo gangs and Chinese scam teams are hiding in the resorts. In recent years, incidents that had never occurred before, such as bloody disputes and gunfights between Korean pogo employees and Chinese pogo staff, and assassinations among Chinese due to uneven distribution of scam funds, have taken place. Not long ago, a Chinese person, after drinking, had a dispute with local Filipinos and severely injured two people with guns and knives. He told me, "Now, the real tourists are becoming fewer, and those renting motorcycles are also decreasing. His business is struggling, and now the main revenue for Korean restaurants comes from providing work meals for Korean scam pogo teams, and the main revenue for Chinese restaurants also comes from providing work meals for Chinese scam teams." I was shocked. Is this still the PG Island I knew before?

I want to clarify again, to those resort owners on PG Island involved in telecom fraud, I am not targeting any of you specifically. I am just stating what I want to say, right or wrong, justice lies in the hearts of people. If anyone insists on targeting me, well, I am not afraid to be your enemy. I have spent several years in the Philippines, and the local Filipinos have told me which hotels and resorts on PG Island have telecom fraud operations. I won't name them one by one.

If you push me too far, I will spend money to send thousands of pesos through gcash to the locals, asking them to report to the NBI and PNP. I want to see who can withstand that? Better to stop sooner rather than later. Running a legitimate business and incurring losses is not shameful, why associate with telecom fraud gangs and scam ordinary citizens? A beautiful tourist spot has been turned into a place filled with dark and harmful influences. One last word, don't force me to name your dens one by one. Let's see who ends up more distressed!