Manila Bulletin
Philippines
Metro Manila
Modern hero: Jeepney passenger pays extra fare, gets off without asking for change
Philippines
Metro Manila
Modern hero: Jeepney passenger pays extra fare, gets off without asking for change
Modern hero: Jeepney passenger pays extra fare, gets off without asking for change
Published Mar 27, 2026 02:34 pm
Amid the challenges facing both drivers and commuters as fuel prices continue to rise, small acts of kindness continue to stand out—like a jeepney passenger who paid extra fare and got off immediately, leaving the change for the driver in Quezon City.
CCTV footage inside a jeepney shows a male passenger handing over fare for the driver and immediately getting off without taking the change, which was later found to be P200. (Screengrab from Roel Stephen Manuel/Facebook)
In a Facebook post on March 23, jeepney driver Roel Stephen Manuel thanked a male passenger whose act of kindness was caught on the jeep’s CCTV after he paid P200 and immediately got off without saying a word.
Manuel told the Manila Bulletin that the passenger’s fare was supposed to be only P16.60, as he boarded in front of Toyota Commonwealth and got off at Pearl Drive.
In the video, Manuel was heard asking where the passenger who paid P200 would get off, but other passengers said he had already left.
“Gusto ko lang magpasalamat kay sir na nag-abot ng 200 bayad then biglang bumaba. Mukhang ginagawa nya ito para makatulong sa mga tsuper kasi sinadyang magbayad kung kailan sya bababa sabay lakad agad palayo (I just want to thank the passenger who handed over P200 and immediately got off. It looks like he did it to help the jeepney drivers, giving the fare just as he was about to get off and walking away right after),” he wrote.
Manuel, on behalf of the other jeepney drivers, thanked the man again, saying this was a big help to them amid rising diesel prices.
“Di ko alam kung gaano katagal nyo nang ginagawa ito, pero mula sa akin at sa lahat ng mga tsuper na natulungan nyo, maraming maraming salamat po! Malaking tulong po ito sa amin ngayong mataas ang presyo ng diesel (I do not know how long you have been doing this, but on behalf of myself and all the drivers you have helped, thank you very much! This is a big help to us amid rising diesel prices),” he added.
He acknowledged that while the passenger may want to remain anonymous, he still shared the video to express his heartfelt gratitude, showing just how much it meant to them that even someone affected by the same challenges could still find a way to help others.
“Pasensya na rin po, alam ko yung mga tulad nyo ay mas gustong anonymous ang kanilang ginagawa pero gusto ko po kasing iparating ang aking taos-pusong pasasalamat (I also apologize, as I know that people like you prefer to remain anonymous in what you do, but I really want to express my heartfelt gratitude),” he said.
Meanwhile, Manuel also asked for more understanding from passengers and commuters, hoping they could be more considerate of drivers when trips are long, crowded, or slow.
"Dahil sa sobrang taas ng diesel, kinakailangan po naming makarami ng pasaherong maisasakay para kahit papano ay makabawi at kumita (Because of the very high diesel prices, we need to carry as many passengers as possible just to recover costs and earn a living),” he said.
“Maliban pa po dun, kinakailangan po namin magtipid din sa krudo dahil sobrang mahal nito kaya mabagal lang magpatakbo para hindi masyadong kumonsumo ng krudo ang makina. Sana po ay maunawaan nila kami kung mas mabagal o matagal ang byahe (Aside from that, we also need to conserve fuel because it is so expensive, so we operate slowly to avoid overconsuming fuel. We hope passengers understand if trips take longer or feel slower),” he added.