ISLAND Garden City of Samal (Igacos) Mayor Lemuel “Toto” Reyes expressed anger over a viral vlog showing a foreign tourist being verbally harassed by a local man at a popular cliff-diving spot. He urged residents to help identify the suspect.
The video was posted earlier this week by England-based travel vlogger Josh on his YouTube channel, The Journey of Josh, with the title, “Sometimes It’s NOT Always Fun in the Philippines! | Samal Island.” It has since drawn widespread attention online.
In the vlog, Josh recounted being confronted by a man who falsely introduced himself as actor Joshua Garcia. The man hurled insults in Bisaya, demanded money, and even threatened him, saying “lumson” (drown), while mocking him for not knowing how to swim.
Reyes condemned the incident in a Facebook post, calling on residents to report the suspect immediately.
“Ug kinsa man nakaila aning tawhana palihug paadtoa ug opisina ayaw hulata nga ako mag papangita sa imoha (Whoever knows this person, please bring him to the office. Don’t wait for me to come looking for you),” he wrote.
The city government, through the City Investment and Tourism Office (CITO), also issued a statement quoting Reyes:
“We express our regret over the unfavorable experience of Mr. Josh, a travel vlogger from England, during his visit. This was an isolated incident and does not reflect the genuine warmth and hospitality of the Samaleños. The individual involved has already been called to account, and appropriate actions will follow,” the report said.
Reyes added that he instructed CITO to contact Josh directly to extend the city’s apology and offer amends. While the site of the incident, Sabang, is not part of the city’s official tourism circuit, Reyes said it remains part of Samal’s identity, and the city remains committed to promoting safe and positive experiences for all visitors.
Josh’s vlog, which has already reached nearly 100,000 views, highlighted Samal’s beaches, snorkeling sites, and cliff-diving spots. He described the encounter as his only negative experience in Mindanao.
“The saying goes, ‘It’s always fun in the Philippines!’ but today that wasn’t all true,” Josh said in the video.
As of press time, SunStar Davao has reached out to Igacos police and Reyes for updates, but no further details on the investigation have been released. DEF