City Hall’s honest worker returns P100k to owner

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines – A Yolanda survivor, who is a job order employee of the City Hall, earned adulations for returning a bag containing P100,000 cash that he found at the Action Center grounds yesterday morning, while doing his regular chore as ground maintenance worker of the city government.

The 55 year-old Rosalito Mamita, a JO for almost 21 years, was grateful for the praises and recognition by his co-workers and City Hall officials, after he returned the money to its owner, who was later identified as a collector of the Brigham Real Estate.

Rosalito told The Freeman that, immediately after discovering the black bag, he picked it up and reported the matter to his immediate superior, saying he wanted to bring it back to whoever was its owner.

That same day, the collector returned to the City Hall inquiring from the employees if any of them saw the bag of money that he lost. Shortly after, Rosalito presented himself to the collector, saying he got the bag with the money intact.

“I have to return the money that does not belong to me. I was never tempted to keep any valuables or money that does not belong to me. I am afraid of God. Despite my poverty and hardships in life, I can’t grab that ‘opportunity’ because it is a sin. In fact, I have a still unrepaired house (which was destroyed by Yolanda),” Rosalito said in the local dialect.

City General Services Assistant division chief Belen Cordero, in a separate interview, told The Freeman, that it was not the first time that Rosalito turned over valuables that he found.

Sometime last 2013, before the killer Yolanda hit Tacloban, he also found a wallet containing dollar bills that he then turned over to a radio station, which in turn found its owner, a student who said the money was intended for his tuition fee.

“A man like Mano Rosalito is much inspiration to all of us. He never took advantage despite his current impoverished situation. I wish there are many more persons like him, who are honest,” said Cordero, adding that she would recommend Rosalito to the mayor for him to become a regular employee.

Rowena Mate, head of the City’s Human Resource and Personnel Division, also said she will recommend Rosalito for a regular employee status. She said that Rosalito, last January, also found and returned five cellphones left behind by City Hall clients.

The HRPD is now also planning to honor Rosalito during the flag raising ceremony anytime this month to inspire others to do good deeds. Rosalito is married with two children. All of them survived Yolanda, and he passed the code of honesty.