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MANILA, Philippines — A story of a good samaritan has been making rounds online.
Who is he? A jeepney driver who returned his passenger’s iPhone. What a rare act of kindness, some might say.
On Facebook, Rochelle Anne Obleno posted her encounter with the kind man named Eduardo Acula Jr or simply “Kuya Toto.”
Obleno was aboard a jeepney bound for Buendia. It was a Saturday and she was on her way to school, but upon alighting the jeepney, she realized her iPhone was already missing.
She then tried running after the jeepney, with no success.
“To my dismay, I remembered my phone was on airplane mode. So there’s no way of contacting it,” she said on Facebook.
Obleno and her friends all lost hope, thinking that no one would ever return an iPhone, especially these days.
“During class, I was there with them but my mind was somewhere else flying and trying to figure out if I will immediately cut my line. But then the greatest what-if came into the picture: What if mabait yung nakakuha (What if the person who got it is kind)?”
The law student then hoped that whoever got her phone would find a way to return it.
“During our lunch break, out of despair, I called up my phone and to my surprise, it rang. It turned out, the driver got hold of it and he was clever and kind enough to get my sim and insert it on his phone because mine was locked and on airplane mode,” Obleno said.
She admitted she never thought of that possibility.
Obleno then met up with the jeepney driver and his wife at a fast food joint in Anonas, Quezon City.
“A very simple couple with big hearts and the brightest smiles welcomed me. I immediately shook their hands, greeted them and endlessly said my thanks and praise,” Obleno shared.
Kuya Toto then replied: “Kahit ‘yung halaga ng phone na ‘yan katumbas na ng ilang buwan kong boundary, ma’am, mas magaan sa loob ‘pag alam mong nakakatulong ka, tsaka ‘yung pinapakain mo sa pamilya mo galing sa sarili mong pinaghirapan.”
“Bumalik ako sa UST, ma’am, umasa ako baka makita ko kayo,” he continued.
(Even if the value of the phone is equivalent to many months of my boundary, ma’am, it would still feel better knowing that I can help. And that what I’m feeding to my family came from my own hard work. I returned to the University of Santo Tomas, ma’am, hoping I might see you.)
Obledo then posted her gratitude for the honest and kind-hearted jeepney driver, sharing how the driver restored her faith in people: “Hindi lahat inuuna ang pansariling interes at pinipiling mamuhay ng marangal para sa kanyang pamilya (Not everyone puts their self-interest first, some choose to live honorably for their family).
During your travels, have you met a good samaritan like Kuya Toto? Let us know. You can reach us via move.ph@rappler.com, MovePH Facebook page, and @moveph on Twitter. Share your good stories and inspire others. – Rappler.com
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