An honest hardware store worker in Malinao town, Albay province turns over to the police the money that he found along the street of Brgy. Balading on Wednesday, Nov. 22. (Photo from Malinao MPS)

LEGAZPI CITY, Albay -  An honest hardware store worker in Malinao town in Albay province turned over to police authorities the money that he found along the main street of Brgy. Balading on Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 22.

Police Major Christian Brual, chief of Malinao Municipal Police Station (MPS), identified the honest hardware store worker as Antonio Bilan, 32.

"Mga bandang alas kwatro po yun kahapon, napulot niya ang pera, madaming 100 peso bills, may singkwenta at may beynte pesos. Tapos pig-turn-over niya po dito sa amin," Brual said. (It was around 4 p.m. when he found the money on the road. There were many hundred peso bills, also P50 bills and P20. He turned them over to the police.)

Brual said there was no identification yet of the owner of the money.

"Nung napulot niya, kalat-kalat na yung pera. Siguro nahulog sa bulsa. Pinulot niya yun lahat at dinala sa atin. Walang IDs o anupaman para mahanap natin yung totoong may-ari," he narrated. (When he found the money, they were scattered an the road. It's as if the money fell from someone's pocket. He picked them all up and turned the money over to us. There were no IDs that will lead us to the owner.)

Although the money is now well accounted for, Brual refused to disclose the total amount found for security purposes.

"So pinost po natin ito sa ating social media account para kung sino man ang nawalan ng pera, maari nila itong i-claim dito sa ating istasyon. Yung total amount ay hindi na muna natin ibibigay kasi baka may biglang mag-claim, yun pala hindi sa kanya. So, in case may mag-claim, tatanuning muna natin kung ilan nawala sa kanya," he said. (We posted this in our social media account so that whoever may have lost the money can claim it from us. The total amount we did not disclose as a deterrent to a poseur who may claim that the money is his. So, whoever will claim the money will be asked by us as to how much did he or she lost.)

Brual added that Bilan will be invited on Monday's flag-raising ceremony to give him recognition for the honesty he showed despite his earning just the minimum wage.

"Nakakatuwa kasi, sa kabila ng tumatanggap lang siya ng minimum na sahod, hirap sa buhay, hindi siya nadala sa pera. Sabi niya sa mga pulis natin, papano daw kung mas kailangan nung may-ari yung pera? Papano kung pang-dugtong buhay pala yung pera na yun? So sa Lunes, invited natin siya para bigyan ng parangal sa flag ceremony at mabigyan ng konting tulong," Brual narrated. (We are really proud of him because despite the fact that he earns a pittance, he was not tempted at all to just keep the money to himself. He told us that he could not, in his conscience, get the money as it might be needed more by the person who lost it. He also told us that maybe the money could be a life saver for someone. So on Monday, we will honor his honesty and give him a little help.)

Brual expressed hope that Bilan's honesty will serve as an inspiration to the people of Malinao, the province of Albay and to the whole nation.