Scavengers still hope to find another ‘treasure’ in dumpsite

Two months after finding a box of jewelry at at the Umapad dumpsite in Mandaue City, scavenger Rodrigo Corta is back at the dumpsite hoping to find another miracle that will turn his life around.

The jewelry pieces which Corta and two other scavengers found are in the custody of Mandaue Mayor Jonas Cortes as lost and found items.

There’s a good chance they will be returned to its owner businessman Vicente Tan next week or the first week of April, said Roger Paler, Mandaue City government’s public information officer.

Paller said this would come after a 30-day publication period and after no other claimants come forward.

Paller said the scavengers who found the jewelry could receive some cash after the items are turned over to the Tan family.

The Civil Code states that if the owner of a hidden treasure will appear in time to claim it, the owner will be obliged to pay as a reward to the finder, one-tenth of the sum or of the price of the thing found.

Corta’s father in law Antonio Aropo, 82, said their lives were worse off after the dumpsite discovery of cash and jewelry which the police took to surrender to the proper authorities, which under the Civil Code, is the mayor.

“Lisud oy, samot, gikuha ang kwarta, gikuha ang alahas, wala nay gibilin sa amo (It’s difficult. They took the money. They took the jewelry. They didn’t leave anything for us),” he told Cebu Daily News in a visit to the Corta family’s shanty at least 40 meters from the dumpsite.

At the time, Rodrigo and his family were out at the dumpsite looking for trash to reuse or sell to buy food for the day.

Aropo and his 76-year-old wife were left in the shanty, eating porridge for lunch.

Aropo, however, said that the family was still hoping for another “miracle”.

“Wa ra man nuon mi nawad-i og paglaum pud nga makakita pa gihapon mi og laing grasya (We haven’t lost hope that we will find another blessing)” Antonio said.

Last January 13, Corta and two other scavengers, Antonio Cuizon, 48, and EDA Montecalvo, 24, found gold jewelry pieces in a box brought to the dumpsite by the Cabancalan garbage truck. The Tan family later said the box was accidently thrown out when Tan’s room was being cleaned.