A taxi driver accredited by the Ninoy Aquino International Airport immediately returned cash left by a his overseas Filipino worker passenger.
OFW Virgilio Legaspi just arrived from a flight from Saudi Arabia and took the airport taxi to take him to a bus terminal.
But as the taxi driver, identified as Gilbert Punzalan, was on his way back to the airport, he noticed a thick white paper inserted next to the car’s handbrake.
Inside the white paper was 30 pieces of 100 dollar bills. The name Virgilio Legaspi was written on the paper.
“Alam kong pinaghirapan niya yan. Mahirap din gastusin yung ganung kalaking pera. (I know he worked hard for this money. It’s also not easy to spend such a huge amount),” Punzalan told airport reporters on Tuesday afternoon.
He said he immediately reported the discover to his manager, who coordinated with airport authorities. It was later found out that the name written on paper that wrapped the bills was the same name written on the taxi dispatch slip given out at the airport.
After being notified, the Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) coordinated with the Bureau of Immigration and sought information about the passenger who also noticed the missing money and returned to NAIA an ahour later. After his identity was verified, Legaspi got his money back.
“I didn’t expect I could get this back. I am very grateful,” he told reporters, adding that the money is for his family. Legaspi managed to personally thank Punzalan at NAIA terminal 1.
MIAA General Manager Ed Monreal said he felt proud over the honesty of the airport driver and hopes other taxi drivers would imitate Punzalan’s honesty.
Monreal noted that acts of kindness and honesty like what Punzalan just did, are a huge help to further boost MIAA’s efforts to improve NAIA’s public image.