A working student from Valenzuela City has returned a lost bag that contained a total of P24,162 cash to its owner, which he found on a street in Marilao, Bulacan.
The Valenzuela City Police Station (VCPS) announced on March 15 that through the help of social media, Joshua Vallar, 20, a resident of Barangay Malanday, Valenzuela City, was able to return a missing bag to its owner in the evening of March 14.
Vallar told Manila Bulletin that he was with his mother looking for a place to eat along a street in Ibayo, Marilao, Bulacan on Sunday, March 13, when they saw the bag beside a tree near a restaurant at around 9:30 p.m.
He said that his mother wanted him to immediately return the bag, but for their own safety (to avoid set-up), he decided to take it with them on their way home.
Upon arrival at their house, Vallar checked the bag which contained the P24,162 cash, several automatic teller machine (ATM) cards, identification cards, and some documents.
After finding the owner’s details on a driver’s license, Vallar said that he was able to reach out to the owner through the Messenger application. He then asked for help from barangay officials and the police in the evening on March 14 since he needed to go to work in the morning.
The VCPS, along with Barangay Malanday watchmen, located the owner, John Ramses de Guzman, 25, from Marilao, Bulacan and assisted Vallar in returning the items.
According to the police, De Guzman thanked the working student for his honesty, claiming the money was his mother’s burial assistance from the Social Security System (SSS).
Vallar, who was also hailed as ”Ginoong Kasaysayan ng Valenzuela” in 2018, said that this is the fifth time he returned a lost valuable to its owner.
He added that since everyone is experiencing different challenges, especially the Covid-19 pandemic, it is better to help other people than to take advantage of such a situation.
“When we have opportunities like this, we should constantly keep in mind that the individuals we are helping may be in a terrible circumstance. So don’t forget about them,” he said.