BIÑAN CITY, Laguna – A food delivery rider is making the rounds online after posting a photo of himself eating at a party.
"Inaya ako kumain mga paps, akala ata mahiyain ako (They asked me to eat, they might have thought I am a shy person)," Michael Amil Cardines captioned a photo of himself wearing his rider uniform and scooping food into his plate.
Despite what the humorous situation initially appears to be, Cardines explained it was actually a party of a friend and not a customer.
The night the photo was taken, he was waiting for his 11:00 p.m. shift and decided to drop by his churchmate's birthday party.
"Nagkabiruan na rider daw po ako na nakikain lang at panay ang tawanan namin, hanggang sa pinicturan po ako ng isang tropa at sinend sakin (The group joked that I was not really a guest at the party and we were laughing about it until my friend took a photo and sent it to me)," the 23-year-old rider and online seller told the Manila Bulletin on Friday, Nov. 18.
"Ipinost ko po sa Foodpanda group para lang po sana sa konting pampa-good vibes... Ang nasa isip ko po masiyahan ‘yung mga kapwa ko rider sa group na nagse-share din po ng kwento nila na nakakatawa (I posted it on the Foodpanda group for good vibes. I was thinking of entertaining my fellow riders who also share funny stories)."
Being a food delivery rider since 2020, Cardines is never short of funny anecdotes from his daily grind, including a time when he got an order from an unusual address – the cemetery.
"Doon po kasi naka-pin ang location. Pero tama naman po, sa sementeryo sila nakatira, pero bandang unahan lang po (The location pin was the cemetery. But it was correct, they really lived in the cemetery, at the front part of it)."
Amid his amusing adventures, however, Cardines takes his job seriously as it allows him to provide for his loved ones.
"Sobra pong nakakatulong sakin 'to, kahit papano po natutustusan ang bills sa bahay, pati na din po pang araw-araw na pagkain at gamot po ni mama (This job is a big help to me, it allows me to pay the bills at home and buy food and my mother's medication."