By Tara Yap
ILOILO CITY – A young teacher from Batad town, Iloilo province would have been completely embarrassed at her oath-taking ceremony in this city had it not been for the act of kindness of the driver of the taxi that she took to the momentous occasion.
Taxi driver Remy Surita Jr. sews by hand the torn pants of his passenger, who was on her way to take her oath as a teacher in Iloilo City. (Novie Joy Balete Venteroso Facebook via Tara Yap / MANILA BULLETIN)
“I thought I was already unlucky, but I’m still lucky because of someone’s kindness. The Lord gave us Manong Driver as instrument to help those who are in need like me,” Novie Joy Balete Venteroso posted on her Facebook account.
The 24-year-old Venteroso was referring to Light of Glory taxi driver Remy Surita Jr.
Venteroso recalled how she was a passenger of Surita last Sunday morning and was on her way to the Iloilo Convention Center for her oath-taking as a newly-minted teacher when she noticed that a side of her blue pants was torn.
Venteroso immediately asked Surita to bring her to the nearest tailoring shop. Unfortunately, it was a Sunday and tailoring shops were closed.
This prompted Surita to make a quick stop at a sari-sari store where he bought super glue and a knitting kit.
He first tried using the super glue to fasten the two edges of the torn pants, but this did not work.
This left Venteroso no other choice but to take off her pants, and cover herself with her blazer, while handing her trousers to Surita.
Wasting no time, Surita went to work on Venteroso’s pants, sewing it up before he drove his relieved passenger to her destination.
“Thank you so much. I salute taxi drivers like you. For sure, God will bless you a thousand folds,” Venteroso added.
As of this posting, the heartwarming story has been shared by thousands on FB, and was also picked up for release by several Iloilo news outlets.