Idinaan na lamang sa biro at tawa ni Martin Nievera ang pagkawala ng US$3,000 cash at ang kanyang mga credit card sa JetBlue flight mula Las Vegas papuntang Fort Lauderdale, Florida, noong June 2026.
US$90 na lang kasi ang naibalik ng airline sa kanya matapos ang isang buwang paghihintay.
Biro ni Martin sa PEP.ph (Philippine Entertaiinment Portal): "Yes. I will be buying you a brand-new car this big. And napansin mo, 'no?
"Ninety dollars. Kakapikon, 'no?"
Seryosong dagdag ng veteran singer: "E, actually, you know what? Sa totoo lang, hindi naman dahil sa pera.
"Dahil napakabagal sila kumilos. Napakabagal sila magbigay ng information. Nobody was trying.
"Di ba naman, I just got off the plane. I just got off the plane. I left my bag.
"Ayaw. Ayaw. No, they didn't want. Kailangan ipadala mo na sa ibang tao.
"Andiyan lang. Wala pang, wala pang... the gate was just on top of the baggage claim.
"I could have gone back, but kasi dumaan na ako sa security, hindi ka puwede bumalik. 'So, please, can someone help me? My bag, I left it. I know exactly where it is. 3D my seat, 3D.'
"Ayaw. So look what happened. Buti lang may tag ako sa wallet ko. Pinatunog namin yung tag the next day.
"Pumunta kami sa airport the next day para we can check and see kung andiyan yung bag. Dahil according to the tag, it's still there.
"Ayaw nila maniwala sila. 'No, we don't have your bag.' Pinatunog namin yung bag. Nahahanap. Pero wala nang pera, wala nang credit cards."
And the money?
"Almost three thousand dollars.
"Again, you know what? To be honest with you, it's really my fault. I forgot the bag.
"Bobo. But it happens. We forget our things, 'no?"
Nasa area pa raw si Martin nang matuklasan niyang naiwan niya ang kanyang bag.
"That's the one that really is frustrating. Napakalapit yung gate sa baggage claim at ayaw kumilos.
"Walang tao sa baggage claim kasi bago pa kami. We're the first ones off the plane.
"So, walang masyadong maraming tao. So they could have done something, but they did not.
"'Call this number. Pa- scan this QR code. Do all... file a report.' Ang tagal."
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MARTIN NIEVERA ON THE LOST MONEY: "I hope it went to good use."
Leksiyon ba ito sa Concert King upang hindi na sumakay sa JetBlue Airlines?
Paglilinaw niya: "No. I don't think it's the fault of the airline, JetBlue. I think it's the fault of the person who didn't wanna help, who works for JetBlue.
"I'm not here to damage an airline. I hate people who do that. I don't want... hindi, hindi kasama yung buong JetBlue sa problemang ito.
"It took one person to ruin the reputation of an airline.
"But I'm not here to ruin the reputation of an airline. JetBlue is a very good airline.
"The flight was beautiful. Everything about it was beautiful until we landed and I lost my bag. I forgot my bag."
Bakit ba siya nagmamadaling lumabas ng eroplano noon?
Dito na pumasok ang paghanga niya sa Filipino tennis star na si Alex Eala.
Pagbabalik-tanaw ni Martin: "I was watching Alex Eala in the plane, in my TV.
"And as we were descending, nawala yung sa screen at the most exciting part.
"So, sa... taranta ako. Gusto ko mang makita yung ending ng match. Takbo ako ng labas ng plane.
"That's the reason why I mentioned Alex Eala, who I love and I'm so proud of.
"I wish I could meet her, give her a hug, and say, 'What you're doing for the country is unbelievable. The way you treat our country, the way you talk about our country, the way you talk about our people, the way you talk, period, I adore.'
"But I was watching you and I forgot my bag, and this whole thing, hullabaloo, happened."
So, nobody's at fault or it's your fault?
Sagot niya: "My fault for leaving the bag.
"But I think people should be a little bit more compassionate. There should be more empathy when it comes to, you know, someone leaving. I didn't lose it.
"I know exactly where it is, and they still didn't wanna help me. I don't know how to explain that."
Umaasa na lang daw si Martin na may napuntahang maganda ang nawalang pera sa kanya na kung iku-convert sa piso ay nagkakahalaga ng halos PHP200,000.
"You know, wherever the real money is, I hope it went to good use because the person who took the money and the credit cards was nice enough to leave my passport. Was nice enough to leave my license.
"So whoever that person is, thank you for leaving my most important documents in my bag, and I hope that the money that was taken went to good use.
"Kasi ang sabi ng Jet Blue, kasi tinanong ko, tinanong ko, "Bakit ninety dollars lang ang naiwan?'
"Siguro sa nagmamadali dahil ang lapit yung plane sa baggage claim area.
"Sa bilis, ang kamay, kinuha lang mga big bills lang. Naiwan yung mga small bills.
"They took the big bills and left the small bills.
"So I was left with ninety dollars. So whoever you are, thank you for leaving the passport and the license, and I hope that the money did you well."
Baka kailangang-kailangan nung taong yun noong araw na yon ng pera?
"Yun nga nga. So I hope that the person who got it really needed it."
So, hindi ka galit?
Diretso niyang tugon, "Not anymore. I'm just upset with the system.
"The whole system of not helping people. I'm sure people, other people out there have worse stories than mine."
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Eksklusibong nakausap ng PEP si Martin sa sideline ng presscon Unang Siklab LIYAB: Mga Himig ng Dakilang Pag-lbig concert presscon kagabi, September 1, 2026.
Ginanap ang presscon sa Barbara's Heritage Restaurant sa Intramuros Manila.
Ang LIYAB ay selebrasyon ng musika, pag-ibig, pagkakaibigan, at pagkamatiisin ng mga Pilipino sa pamamagitan ng mga awitin ng National Artist na si Ryan Cayabyab.
Saad ni Martin: "Well, I know my participation, yung part ko naman, ay isa lang sa lahat ng mga magaling kumanta.
"So I'm very, very nervous because to get the call from Mr. C. is a true honor because yung pressure nga to sing a Ryan Cayabyab song, you better sing it right.
"Yout better, sing it better... kailangan ipantay mo yung passion at emotions and of the lyrics, of the arrangement.
"But this show is of course, all of the music that we know, that Mr. C does is for... also helps with the healing process since we're trying to help some of the people in PGH (Philippine General Hospital), the people with different difficulties in life.
"We're, we're trying to help lend a helping hand by way of music and using different artists to sing the beautiful songs of Mr. C."
Ang Unang Siklab LIYAB: Mga Himig ng Dakilang Pag-lbig ay magaganap sa September 20, 2026, sa Theatre at Solaire.
Kasama ni Maestro Ryan Cayabyab ang Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, sa ilalim ng baton ng conductors na sina Jonathan Velasco at Toma Cayabyab.
Bukod kay Martin, kasama rin sa concert sina Lea Salonga, Ogie Alcasid, Jed Madela, Bituin Escalante, Gigi de Lana, Sofronio Vasquez, at Arman Ferrer.
Kasama rin sa concert ang 200-member na LIYAB Grand Chorale, na kinaaniban ng walo sa mga tinitingalang choirs sa bansa: Ateneo Chamber Singers, Imuscapella, Konsertus, Mass Appeal, Novo Concertante, PCSO Chorale, UP Concert Chorus, at ang UP Manila Chorale.
Sold out na ang 7 P.M. gala performance, at available pa ang 2 P.M. matinee show sa parehong araw.
Mabibili ang tickets sa TicketWorld.
Read: Martin Nievera gets US$90 after US$3K cash goes missing