Law student Rochelle Anne Obleno was on her way to her law class one Saturday morning. As soon as she got off the jeepney she rode from Project 2-3 in Quezon City to Buendia, she felt that her iPhone wasn’t in her pocket. Obleno tried to chase after the jeepney, but the driver had already sped off.
To make matters worse, Obleno remembered that she had set her phone on airplane mode so she wouldn’t be able to to call it.
Obleno wasn’t able to focus much on her class that day. Just as she was deciding to call her network and have her line cut, she suddenly had hope that perhaps an honest person had retrieved her phone and might know how to use it. As farfetched as it may have seemed to some, it was an idea she held on to in hopes of getting her phone back. Depite her classmates telling her it was a hopeless cause already, she still tried to find her phone.
During their break, Obleno decided to try and call her number. To her great surprise, the phone started ringing. Even better was that somebody answered. It turned out that the jeepney driver himself had gotten hold of the phone when it was left behind. Obleno was pleased to find out that because of the driver’s quick thinking, he was able to remove her sim and insert it into his own phone so she was able to call her number.
Obleno scheduled to meet with the driver in Anonas. She met the driver Eduardo “Toto” Acula, Jr. and his wife, residents of Loyola Heights, Quezon City. She described the couple as very simple who greeted her with bright smiles. She immediately took their hands and thanked them.
Photo credit: Rochelle Anne Obleno
What inspired Obleno most during their brief encounter was what the Acula said, “Kahit yung halaga ng phone na yan katumbas na ng ilang bwan 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. Kung di ko nga ho kayo mahanap ipapa-Tulfo ko na po yang phone nyo. [Even if the phone’s worth is equal to a few months’ income, I feel better knowing I helped someone and that what I feed my family comes from my own hard work. I returned to the University of Santo Tomas (UST) hoping to find you. But if I wasn’t able to, I would have surrendered your phone to Tulfo (a television-radio program which focuses on providing public service).”
Obleno was indeed very lucky to have met Acula. She hoped that there were more drivers out there who always think about their passengers’ safety and welfare and are truly honest. Obleno praised Kuya Toto for his good heart and hoped to spread the word on this man’s goodness.
KM Viray
