‘Honesty its own reward’

Two porters at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) have been cited by management after they turned over a bag containing two expensive cameras they found on a baggage trolley last month.

Jannsen Lascano and Albert Bayonito said the saying “finders keepers” never occurred to them.

“Besides, I have a digicam at home, even if it’s cheap. The cameras we found were not ours to keep,” said Lascano, 28, who with Bayonito works in Naia Terminal 3.

The two, who happen to be good friends, waited for the owner to come around looking for the bag which was dangling from the trolley handle.

After some time had passed and still no one had come by to claim it, Bayonito and Lascano brought the bag to the airport lost and found unit.

The bag, which had the name Sony on it, held a Sony digital single-lens reflex (DSLR) camera and a video camera.

“We knew the bag contained a camera because it had Sony markings on it, but we didn’t think it would have two cameras inside,” Bayonito, 35, said in an interview.

Porters for three years, they earn the basic wage of about P10,000 a month. The cheapest video cameras in the market cost around P23,000, while DSLRs cost from P33,000 to P62,000.

For their honesty, the two, who are contractual employees, were presented plaques of recognition last week by the Naia management.

The bag contained a contact number and the address of the owner which made it easier to track her down.

It turned out she was a University of the Philippines professor who had left the bag behind that early morning of May 18.

“The Naia 3 management just told us the owner had claimed it. We don’t mind not having met the person or not getting a reward. It was our job,” Bayonito said.

“I believe in karma. I was brought up to remember I shouldn’t keep things which don’t belong to me,” he added.

Lascano said he would always return lost items, even money, adding: “It’s better to have good karma than have bad things happen.”

For the two, the plaques of recognition were reward enough.

“Mine hangs in the living room, in a frame. I feel good whenever I pass by it. I’m happy that I did something right,” Bayonito said.