Sen. Grace Poe INQUIRER PHOTO / LYN RILLON
Sen. Grace Poe lauded on Thursday an honest teenager who immediately returned P7,000 cash that fell from a man’s pocket.
In Senate Resolution No. 497, Poe praised 13-year-old Andrey Macabuhay, a subject of a viral post on Facebook, for being a “paragon of honesty.”
“Be it resolved, as it is hereby resolved, by the Senate of the Philippines, to commend Andrey Macabuhay for being a paragon of honesty despite hardships experienced by his family, when he, without hesitation, returned money that did not belong to him,” Poe said.
According to reports, Macabuhay said he did not hesitate to chase the owner, Dindo Lorenzo, and return the cash.
As a reward, Lorenzo gave Macabuhay a small amount of money which the boy later gave to his parents.
Macabuhay said he never thought of bringing the money home to his sick parents or even stealing money to feed his family despite their struggles in life.
As a reward for his honesty, Immaculate Conception Institutions rewarded Macabuhay with a full scholarship worth P400,000, including expenses for his allowance, uniform, books, and lunch.
The school also gave a small amount of money to Andrey’s family as additional capital for their small sari-sari store.
Macabuhay, youngest of six siblings, had to work as a “parking boy” in Sta. Maria, Bulacan, because the earnings of his mother as a vegetable vendor is not enough to meet the living expenses of the family. Macabuhay’s father, on the other hand, was a construction worker who had to stop working due to impaired vision caused by cataracts.
“Although poor and an out-of-school youth, Andrey is able to distinguish right from wrong; thus, proving that no matter the age, stature in life, or appearance, a person can still remain morally upright and virtuous,” Poe said.
“Andrey’s story also proves that, despite these trying times, the youth can still be relied on to create a better future for our country,” she added. JPV