Honest farmer rewarded by PRO-Cor head

By Redjie Melvic M. Cawis

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- An  honest farmer  from  nearby Tublay town received unexpected  reward  for returning  the sling bag containing money and other documents  he found  and started  the new year free of  hospital debt.
    The good deed of Mando Alonzo, a farmer who returned more than P133, 000 cash was reciprocated with a reward from Ccordillera police director Brig. Gen. R’win Pagkalinawan.
    Last Christmas Day, Alonzo found a sling bag while passing through Baayan Road at Sitio Sayatan in Tublay.
    The bag contained huge amount of money, and as he looked thoroughly inside the bag, he found IDs and the cell phone number of the owner was there.
    He called the number and talked to the owner who identified himself as Roger Santiago.
    They agreed to meet at the Tublay Municipal Police Station for proper turn-over of the found sling bag.
    At the Tublay police station, MSgt Ronald Neil Bagta facilitated turn- over of the sling bag complete with its contents to the owner who thanked Alonzo for his honesty without asking for anything in return.
    Alonzo, a farmer and a jeepney driver traversing the Baguio-Pico, La Trinidad route, is among the many individuals in the informal sector whose livelihood were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. He   helps   his wife cultivate sayote to sell for a living.
    In June 2020, Alonzo’s wife was hospitalized and   underwent a gall bladder operation.
    Their health insurance, savings, and donations from different individuals fell short to cover their hospital bills, and Alonzo signed a promissory note that he would pay the remaining bills any time soon.
    Despite his difficult financial situation, Alonzo's innate honesty prevailed and without  hesitation, decided to return the money he found to the owner.
    Impressed and touched by his honesty, Pagkalinawan   offered to pay the remaining hospital bill of Alonzon's wife amounting to P37, 740 from his personal pocket.
    On Jan. 4, Tublay police fetched Alonzo at their house in Barangay Ba-ayan and accompanied him to settle said hospital bills at the Benguet General Hospital.
    Alonzo expressed his gratitude for the unexpected blessing.
    He said he only did what was right and that financial difficulty was not a reason to keep what was not rightfully his. – With reports from PIA and PROCor RPIO