Pedicab driver caught on video saluting PH flag goes viral
Fermin Valdez, a 67-year-old pedicab driver, inspires Filipino netizens on the celebration of the Philippines’ 125th Independence Day as he shows an act of patriotism by saluting the Philippine flag he stumbles upon in Kawit, Cavite. Image: Courtesy of @tgifrenz/TikTok
As the Philippines marked its 125th Independence Day on Monday, June 12, a heartwarming video of a pedicab driver’s patriotic act touched the hearts of netizens nationwide.
Fermin Valdez, 67, the humble protagonist of the now-viral video, was spotted reverently restoring the fallen Philippine flag installed at a street post in Kawit, Cavite, evoking a sense of admiration and respect for the country’s national symbol.
Shortly after fixing the flag, he walked some distance away from it and saluted the flag.
Social media user Frenzy Carizon, who filmed the video, told the Inquirer that she captured Valdez’s act of patriotism last Saturday, June 10, when she and her friends were driving around the town.
“‘Yan ang tunay na Filipino, may respeto sa watawat (That’s the true Filipino, he has respect for the flag),” Carizon’s friend can be heard saying in the video, expressing delight at the elderly man’s respect for the flag, which prompted them to shout in amazement.
Article continues after this advertisementCarizon and her friends returned to Kawit to locate Valdez and provide him with some essential goods the following day.
Article continues after this advertisementOn TikTok, Carizon uploaded a separate video of their interaction with Valdez, who shared his sentiments, emphasizing the importance of respecting and honoring the Philippine flag.
Valdez recalled driving his pedicab that day to deliver some tahong (mussels) to a customer when he stumbled upon the fallen flag along the way.
“Nadaanan ko ‘yong bandera ng ating bansa [na] bumagsak. Hindi ko naman pwedeng lampasan eh, ‘di ko naman pwedeng balewalain. Siyempre, bandera ng ating bansa ‘yon,” he told Carizon in an interview.
(I happened to come across the fallen flag of our country. I couldn’t just pass by it or disregard it. Of course, it’s our country’s flag.)
“Karapatan nating respetuhin ang [bandera] ng bansa. Ating ayusin [ang watawat] para maging maayos ang takbo ng ating buhay […],” Valdez added. (It is our right to respect the flag of our country. Let us fix the flag to set our lives in order.)
The video swiftly went viral, amassing over 6.1 million views and more than 800,000 likes as of this writing.
Act of patriotism
During the interview with Carizon, Valdez revealed that his father had been a soldier stationed at Camp Crame. His father had hoped that Valdez would follow in his footsteps and become a soldier someday, but Valdez was not inclined to be one.
At present, Valdez delivers tahong and talaba (oysters) to customers in their locality in hopes of earning sufficient funds to repair his pedicab.
Meanwhile, his video seemed to have touched the hearts of millions of Filipinos, who expressed their gratitude and admiration for his patriotic act.
Many social media users flooded the comments section of Carizon’s post with messages of support, praising the elderly man for his profound devotion and reminding others of the significance of national pride.
@tgifrenz NAHANAP NA NAMIN SI TATAY FERMIN. Part 2 #independenceday #tatayfermin #saludo #philippines #watawat #fyp #viral
“Tatay is one of those who [treasure] independence so much. What a warm to the heart. May all Filipinos be like him,” one comment reads.
“Nakaka-proud!!! Sana lahat tayo gayahin si Tatay. Mahirap man mahalin minsan ang bayang ito, pero babalik at babalik pa rin tayo sa ating inang bayan,” another commenter wrote. (It’s truly something to be proud of! I hope we can all follow Tatay’s example. Though it may be difficult to love our country sometimes, we will always come back to our motherland.)
Furthermore, Carizon and her friends started a fundraiser called “Piso para kay Tatay Fermin,” to help Valdez repair his pedicab and buy him a new one.
Individuals who wish to help Valdez can send a personal message to Frenzy Carizon on her TikTok account @tgifrenz.
Carizon clarified that Valdez does not have his own mobile wallet at the moment. However, she and her friends are more than willing to personally accompany anyone who desires to deliver their donations to Valdez. —With reports from Justine Paul Ramos, INQUIRER.net trainee
/ra/abc
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