TORRIBIO MALICAY JR: A pedigree of honesty

HONESTY is a rare breed nowadays but 50-year-old cabbie Torribio Malicay Jr, of Airland Taxi, proved that he is a pedigree of such breed that still live among us.

"Nagkinahanglan ta og kwarta kay pobre usab kita apan ang butang nga dili imoha, kinahanglan imong iuli sa hingtungdan," Malicay yesterday told The Freeman, as he explained why he returned the money he found from his taxi instead of using it for his family.

Malicay, a father of seven, returned to the owner the wallet containing US$10,000 and other peso and yen denominations last July 12.

Early morning of July 11, Malicay drove three Japanese tourists from the Waterfront Hotel-Mactan to various entertainment establishments in Cebu City, until dawn of the following day.

After taking back the three Japanese tourists to their hotel, Malicay left the place for another taxi fare. But along the way, Malicay noticed a wallet at the backseat of his cab.

The wallet, certainly left by one of his Japanese passengers, contained a large sum. But Malicay's immediate thing in mind was the message of his father, his namesake: "Wala mo nako lawgi og pagkaon nga dili atoa."

Malicay is the second child of Torribio Sr., now 78 years old, who was once a driver and received an award from the company he worked at the time as "Honest Driver."

Malicay himself recalled the time when his own children reminded him: "Ang mga butang nga dili imoha, ayaw og angkona, iuli sa hingtungdan."

Without second thought, Malicay drove back to the hotel and there he saw the Japanese in a worried discussion with his companions. He recognized the Japanese as the one on the passport in the wallet, and this made him sure the Japanese owned the item.

So he immediately called on the Japanese who in turn asked him, "You see my wallet?"

The question was actually no longer needed because Malicay readily handed to the Japanese the wallet. Malicay then requested the Japanese to verify first the wallet's contest before he leaves the hotel.

The Japanese hugged and thanked Malicay profusely. He quickly offered Malicay a reward but the cabbie politely declined.

The Freeman, in the interview, found Malicay's modesty so remarkable especially when he said that returning items to his passengers is a small service that could not warrant any reward or recognition.

"Wala man ko mag-apas og reward o pasindungog. Ang akoa lang nga mauli nako ang butang nga dili akoa," Malicay said, adding that when his brothers and sister learned about it, they immediately called and congratulated him for making their family proud.

The Malicay family lives in the house of his parents in sitio Banawa, barangay Guadalupe.

Malicay's work as a cabbie earns him a daily average take of between P200 and P300, and certainly the amount is hardly enough to make both ends meet. Malicay started work as a jeepney driver at the age of 17 then shifted to driving taxis in 1988.

Malicay said that it also helps a lot to have an employer, Chiquito Obeso-proprietor of Spider, Airland and Scorpion taxis-who always understands the situations of his employees.

Malicay acknowledges the words of Obeso who keeps on telling them to return the things left behind by passengers, either foreigners or locals.

Malicay's first wife, with whom he had four children, died from leukemia in 1982. He remarried and was blessed with three more offspring, one of who died due to brain tumor.

"Nahadlok ko nga magaba-an. Mao ra gyud ni ang akong maisulti nga mopatigbabaw gayud ang akong kakulba," Malicay said.

Asked what advise he could give to his fellow drivers, Malicay said, "Ang pag-uli og usa ka butang nga dili imoha, dili na angayang tun-an pa. Naa ra na sa imong kinaiya. Kung dili imoha ang usa ka butang kinahanglan imong iuli sa tag-iya."

He admitted though that there was an incident before that he failed to return a wallet, containing P200, because there was no identification card to help him locate the owner.

When the Japanese left the country, he contacted Malicay first to drive him from the hotel to the airport. The Japanese also promised that whenever he, his friends or family visit Cebu, Malicay should be the cabbie to fetch them and take them to any place in Cebu.

The Cebu City Council last Wednesday approved a resolution conferring on Malicay recognition for his exemplary act.

Councilor Edgardo Labella, who authored the proposed resolution, said: "Torribio Malicay's act projects the good image of the country in general, and Cebu City in particular, to foreign and local visitors under the tourism program thrust of the government."

He added: "The exemplary deed of Mr. Malicay is a telling testament that the good value of honesty is still not lost among the people driving the taxicabs plying the street roads of Cebu City even under these adverse times."

Sometime in 1994, the Cebu City Government also commended Malicay for honesty when he turned over to a government agency the wallet containing around P200,000 left behind by a passenger inside the taxicab he was driving at the time. -Garry B. Lao