Korean minister gets back lost wallet from woman who found it

MANILA, Philippines–A Korean minister on Thursday got back the wallet he lost last week after the woman who found it turned it over to Radyo Inquirer 990AM.

Salve Villaflor, of Sta. Cruz, Manila, went to the 990AM station last Monday to ask for assistance in finding San Jun Park, who owned the wallet she found along Vito Cruz Extension last Saturday afternoon.

She said that she had initially wanted to personally hand over the wallet to Park and even looked for him near the place where she had found the wallet.

It was Villaflor’s husband who finally advised her to ask Radyo Inquirer for help in reaching Park. “Practice na namin sa buhay na pag hindi (sa) amin, talagang hindi naming itatago ‘yan (We’re used to not really keeping things we don’t own) ,” Villaflor explained.

Park, who claimed the wallet at the 990AM station Thursday morning, said that he did not expect to get back his wallet after losing it and was totally surprised when he was informed of what Villaflor had done.

“(Salve is) such a great person,” he pointed out, saying that he had grown depressed after losing his wallet as he “put everything in (that) wallet—my Korean ID, my Korean credit card, my Filipino credit card… everything.”

San Jun Park also said that he had a better sense of Filipino values after his wallet was returned to him by a stranger.

The Korean national said that what Villaflor had done “gave me an impression that I’m part of a Filipino family even though I’m Korean. It gave me a good impression of the Filipino people.”