Good deed amid COVID-19: Pasig City woman returns extra food coupon

MANILA, Philippines — Honesty is still the best policy for one woman in Pasig City as she decided to return the extra food coupon distributed by the local government.

In a Facebook post on Thursday, Pasig City mayor Vico Sotto said that the woman, who he did not identify, got an extra P400 food coupon.

https://www.facebook.com/VicoSotto/posts/3019555681436423

Half of the extra P400 food coupon, however, was already used to buy food in a “talipapa” (wet market), Sotto added. Still, the woman was bothered by her conscience.

“May nanay na nakakuha ng sobrang 400 pesos na Food Coupons natin. Nagamit niya yung 200 sa talipapa, pero nakonsensiya,” the mayor stated in his post.

(One woman got an extra P400 of food coupons from us. She used the P200 in the wet market, but was bothered by her conscience.)

“Kinabukasan, isinauli niya yung 400. (yung 200, in cash),” Sotto added. “Mas marami pa rin talaga ang tapat at may mabuting puso.”

(The next day, she returned the P400 [the P200 was in cash]. There are still people who are honest and have a good heart.)

The food coupons were distributed to Pasig City’s public school students as aid during the Luzon-wide enhanced community quarantine brought about by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis.

In a text message to INQUIRER.net, Sotto said that the woman was able to get the food coupons as she had children who were studying in public schools.

“She has children who are public school students. It is the adult parent or guardian who gets the coupons,” Sotto said.

“They have to surrender the student’s ID upon claiming the food coupons,” he added.

Aside from this, the Pasig City local government said it will give cash aid to the city’s public utility vehicle drivers, while residents will get 400,000 food packs as part of the COVID-19 relief efforts.