Chloe Alday, 21, production assistant for Radyo Inquirer 990AM. NOY MORCOSO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines – Fifteen thousand pesos and a cell phone aren’t everyday finds. And when one does, the temptation to keep them, especially in these hard times, is particularly strong.
It was no different for Chloe Alday, 21, a production assistant for Radyo Inquirer 990AM, when chancing upon a bag that contained the money and the phone on her seat at a fastfood chain near her office in Makati City, her first thought was this was a “gift from heaven”.
Recalling the incident to INQUIRER.net, Alday said, “After ordering, I was looking for a seat and saw a table which was not yet cleared up. I came to this table and called for assistance to clean up the table. I was carrying so many things that day. I placed my bag on a red chair as I held my tray of food…waiting for the table to be cleared up, I took my bags and took a seat. As I sat, I felt something behind me. I pulled it out and realized that it was pink pouch bag. It looked like a pencil case and was surprised to see bundles of money when I opened it.”
Alday said that before she did anything, “I paused to think carefully what to do next.”
“I waited for at least 45 minutes, hoping that the owner will come back and so I can hand it right to her but nobody came to claim it,” she said.
She admitted that so many thoughts came to her mind and that on her way to work from school, she was telling God about her worries and told him that she accepted all these for Him.
This was why, Alday said, that when she saw the money, she thought, “Lord ano ito, hulog ng Langit?” – that it was a gift from God who was rewarding her for all the hardships she had gone through.
But Alday said her conscience got the better of her and started to consider what was a happening “a simple test”, not “a reward but a greater challenge”.
Alday said that upon reaching the office, Alday surrendered the money to Mon Tulfo of “Isumbong Mo Kay Tulfo,” Radyo Inquirer 990AM’s afternoon public service program. She added that she even requested for an acknowledgement receipt as proof that she had turned over the money and the phone.
Tulfo, who would make the announcement on the program that same day, would later acknowledge Alday in his column in Bandera entitled “Target ni Tulfo”.
The owner, one Annabelle Shin who visited Radyo Inquirer a day after and got the money and cell phone with proper identification, was thankful.
“Alday’s honesty is rare. Actually, no one would have known had she pocketed the money because P15, 167 is quite a big amount for Alday who earns P12,000 gross monthly,” said Tulfo in Filipino in his column.
“You’ve done well, Chloe. May there be more like you,” said Tulfo.