Tricycle driver Delfin Añora Jr. hands over the P300,000 cash at radio station DXBC last February 26, 2024. Photo courtesy of Marlon Andura Morales
BUTUAN CITY (MindaNews / 01 March) – For his honest act of returning P300,000 in cash left by a passenger, a tricycle driver is making headlines here, receiving praises from the online community and special recognition from the city government.
Delfin Añora Jr., an elderly tricycle driver from Barangay Baan Riverside, handed over last February 26 a red envelope containing cash and important documents at Radio Mindanao Network DXBC 693, a local radio station in Butuan.
“While I was driving, the driver of a bao-bao type tricycle that was behind me approached and told me that an envelope had fallen in the backseat of my tricycle. I stopped to look into it and discovered that it contained cash, so I rushed here,” Añora said in an interview with the radio station.
Añora said he decided to bring the money to the radio station because he has been familiar with it for a long time, being a regular listener every morning before starting his daily trips.
When asked about the reason for returning the money, he said his decision was driven by a commitment to honesty and a sense of reverence for God.
“If God gives it, it’s rightfully ours, but if not, we should not take it, as only God knows what he will reward us with,” Anora said.
Radio station manager Ramil Bangues said the owner is a resident of Barangay Obrero, and the contact number was discovered in the documents inside the envelope. The owner promptly went to the radio station, claimed the lost cash, and met Añora there.
A tricycle in Butuan City. MindaNews file photo by IVY MARIE MANGADLAO
“That cash is from the retirement pay as he just retired as a government employee. When they rode the tricycle, the spouse held the money. Unfortunately, he overlooked and forgot the envelope he was holding,” Bangues added.
During Bangues’ on-air evening program later that day, a generous listener offered to donate 5,000 pesos in cash, and another listener pledged to donate a sack of rice.
After posting the video interview of Añora with the local radio station, a netizen who happened to be his neighbor quickly confirmed that he is definitely kind and religious.
As of 3 PM on March 1, Friday, the video interview has garnered over 8,400 reactions with 1,500 shares and 1,300 comments praising the honest driver as a good Samaritan.
On February 28, City Councilor Cherry Busa authored a resolution during their regular session commending the driver for his outstanding display of integrity.
Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) Resolution No. 120-2024 was immediately passed during the session, “commending Delfin Añora Jr., a Butuanon tricycle driver, for his exemplary and admirable character of honesty, demonstrated in his return of a misplaced red envelope, duly expressing the appreciation of the city government of Butuan through an honorary reward commensurate with his act, worthy of emulation by every citizen of the city.”
The SP stated in a Facebook post that the resolution was swiftly passed to formally acknowledge Añora’s honesty and to encourage others to follow his commendable example. (Ivy Marie Mangadlao/MindaNews)
