Honest Cebuana returns American mom’s lost phone

American national MJ Gregory will never forget Cebu.

On her first visit to the Queen City of the South, she lost her HTC cellphone while watching the Sinulog Festival Queen competition in the grandstand of the Cebu City Sports Center last Friday.

Her sorrow turned into joy when a 20-year-old Cebuana returned her cellphone less than an hour later.

The young woman whom she knew as “Ruth” had earlier texted Gregory’s husband and went to their hotel to return the phone.

“When I lost my phone, I prayed to God. I got my phone in less than an hour,” Gregory told Cebu Daily News yesterday at the Cebu City Sports Center.

Gregory’s friend Dick Pearson said the cellphone was worth $400 to $500 (about P17,500 to P22,000).

But Gregory said her cellphone was “priceless” because it contained photos of her three children and other important data.

Gregory, whose husband is a doctor, was grateful that the Cebuana returned her phone.

“People here are very honest and hardworking. I can’t express it in words,” she said.

She said she would surely come back to Cebu.

She said she not only had fun watching the parade and other Sinulog activities but had the fortune of being helped by an honest stranger.

“I want to tell her how grateful I am,” Gregory said.

Her family gave the 20-year-old woman P1,000 in appreciation of her kindness.

Pearson said the Cebuana didn’t want to receive the money but they insisted that she accept the gift.

Gregory lost her phone at around 11 p.m. in the sports center last Friday.

Gregory’s husband later received a text message from the Cebuana saying “I’m trying to find the owner of this phone. I’m waiting for your call.”

After learning which hotel Gregory was staying in, she went there and returned the phone to Gregory’s husband.

Gregory, who was out at that time, didn’t have the chance to meet Ruth in person.

But the Cebuana’s gesture will leave her with a lasting memory of hospitality. Ador Vincent S. Mayol, Reporter