Since it is Valentine’s day, let us share with you a story of love and compassion a netizen sent to us. This may not necessarily be about the romantic type of love, but it is showing concern and compassion to those who are in need. Most of all, it is giving a little something that can go a long way for the recipient.
Here’s how the story of Hannie Espino goes, which happened last February 7 somewhere between Bonifacio Global City in Taguig and Pasig City.
Habang ang lahat sa office ay nagmamadaling umuwi or gumimik, sanay ako n maiwan. Bakit? Kc traffic, mahaba pila sa FX Market Market, may tinatapos pa ako. Pero, bakit nga ba di pa ko umuuwi? Ewan ko din. So, after ko magligpit ng gamit ko, nakipagdaldalan muna ako (as usual) tpos bumaba n ng building ng 8:59PM (according kay Kuya Guard). Di ako nagttaxi pauwi, BGC shuttle tpos FX. Ganon lang. Pero nsa lobby pa lng ako, may natanaw akong taxi “hmmm luma” sbi ko sa sarili ko. “magttaxi kea ako”?
(Rough translation: While everyone in the office is rushing to go home or to hangout with friends, I am used to being left in the office. Why? It’s because of the traffic, the long line waiting for an FX in Market Market, and also, I am still finishing some work. But, why didn’t I really go home yet. I don’t know. When I was about to leave the office, I had a quick chitchat, which I usually do before going down the building at 8:59PM. I don’t usually take a taxi going home. I take the BGC shuttle then FX. However, when I was at the lobby, I can see a taxi, which made me reconsider taking one.)
Sinipat ko un sasakyan habang papalabas ng building. “Naku, luma dba ganyan un sa mga scam sa taxi”, sa isip isip ko. Sa likod ng taxi, may paparating na bagong modelo..ayun sakto. Pag-lingon ko sa lumang taxi, sumenyas un driver na para bang halika dto ka na sumakay. Mejo naaninag ko ang imahe ng isang matandang naka-ngiti. Nahiya naman ako sa sarili ko, kc napaka unfair ko naman kung iddiscriminate ko un taxi eh parang kanina p sya nagiintay ng pasahero.
(Rough translation: I looked at the parked taxi. It was quite old, which made me think that it might be running a scam. At the back of the parked old taxi, a new taxi is coming. I was decided to take the new taxi when I looked at the old taxi and the driver made a sign as if saying I should take it. I saw that inside was a old driver who was smiling at me. I felt a little guilty that it’s unfair to discriminate the old taxi especially since it might have been waiting there for a long time.)
Pagbukas ko ng pinto, ay luma nga, naku baka scam to. So agad ako tumingin sa gilid. Ok may phone number nmn at operator. I took the risk kc plano ko dumaan sa Globe Store s Market Market, kung scam man malapit lng. So sbi ko, “sa Market Market po”. Lumingon yung driver, cguro kasing tanda n ng lolo ko, sa isip ko lang. Tinanong ko sya, “Tay, ilang taon na po kayo”? 70 mag 71 n, sagot nya. Bakas sa mukha nya ang pagkapagod. Di na lang ako dadaan ng Market Market, malliit lng kikitain nya pg dun ako nagpahatid. Kaya sabi ko, “Tay, ok lng po ba sa Pasig na lang”? Ok daw, walang problema, bigkas nya habang nakangiti. I am a lolo’s girl kaya sobra ako naawa kay Tatay driver. In short, ininterview ko sya habang binabagtas ang C5. At eto ang kanyang kwento…
(Rough translation: I opened the door and realized it’s really an old taxi, and had second thoughts that it might be a scam. I looked on the side and saw the details about the phone number and the operator of the taxi. I took the risk since I was also planning on passing by the Globe store in Market Market. If ever it was a scam, my destination is quite near anyway. So, I told the driver I was heading to Market Market. The driver looked back and I realized this driver might be as old as my grandfather. I asked him how old he was. He said 70 turning 71. I can see on his face how tired he was. I thought to myself, I don’t won’t go to Market Market since he will only earn a small amount if he drives me there. So, I asked him if it was okay if he drives me to Pasig. He said it was okay and that there was no problem as he smiles. I am a lolo’s girl so I felt sympathy for the driver. In short, I interviewed him while driving along C5. Here’s his story…)
Sya c Luisito Tuzon, 70 years old, Taxi driver. Naninirahan sa Phase 6 Blk 22 Lot 24 Carissa Homes Tanza Cavite. Gumagarahe sa Palanan Makati, at uuwi sa Tanza. Ngaun araw nlng ulit sya naglabas ng taxi dahil noong 23 December 2013, nstroke sya (pang 3 beses n dw nya un atake mild lang un last one). Umurong ang dila nya at di makapagsalita. Pero sa awa ni Papa God, gumaling sya. Pumunta sya sa dati nyang amo para makiusap na magdrive ulit. Nagulat ang amo nya kc akala patay n sya after mastroke. Bakit pa sya mag taxi driver ulit? Dahil naawa sya 4 nyang apo (ages 1-5) wala ng mainom n gatas lalo n dw un pinakamaliit. Am nlng at pisong asukal ang pinapadede nilang mag-asawa (58yo-labandera). Nagiisang anak nila un nanay ng mga bata. Kalalabas lang sa Mental. Naging tulala daw after mamatay un asawa at nung burol di nila alam n may tunay palang pamilya un lalaki kinuha un bangkay. Pinalayas sila sa nirrentahan nilang apartment at kinuha ang mga gamit nila dahil di sila nakakabayad. Unti-unti naubos ang mga gamit nilang natira dahil binebenta nila may pangkain lang. Pinatira sila ng kumare nila sa Carissa Homes at pinauupahan ang bahay ng 600 pesos. Mabait daw un dahil pag wala silang pera di sila sinisingil. Nagbaka sakali syang magdrive dahil walang nagpapalaba sa kanila. Nagaalalala nga daw un asawa nya at tinanong kung kaya ba daw pa nya mag drive. Kaya daw nya, kc kung di sya kikilos kawawa nmn ang mga apo nya, maliliit pa.
(Rough translation: He is Luisito Tuzon, 70 eyars old, taxi driver. He lives in Phase 6 Blk 22 Lot 24 Carissa Homes, Tanza, Cavite. He parks the taxi in Palanan, Makati and he goes home to Tanza. He said that he went on duty again today after suffering a stroke in December 23, 2013. He said that it’s his third time to have a stroke but the recent one was only mild. He was having a hard time talking. However, in God’s grade, he got better. So, he went back to driving a taxi. His boss got shocked because he thought Tuzon was dead already after the last stroke. Why did he go back to driving a taxi? He pities his four grandchildren, with ages between 1 and 5, because they don’t have milk to drink especially the youngest one. They just drink am (the excess water when cooking rice) with one-peso sugar, which he and his 58-year old wife, who works as a laundry woman, gives. The mom of these kids where their only daughter. She just got released from the mental hospital. She was just always looking at the horizon after her husband died and they found out that the man had another family, who took his body for burial. They were driven out of their rented apartment and their belongings were taken from them because they weren’t able to pay the rent. They started selling what’s left of their belongings just to get by. They were allowed to live in Carissa Homes by a friend with a small rental fee of PhP 600. She was a nice lady because if they don’t have money, she doesn’t force them to pay. Tuzon just took the chance to drive in case his wife won’t have any work. His wife was a little worried of him driving but he said that he can do it or his grandchildren are still very young and will starve.)
Kitang kita ko ang hapdi sa bawat bigkas nya ng kwento. Matanda n sya pero kinakaya nya. Kea sa lahat ng sumakay sa taxi ngaun araw, sinasakay nya at he is truthful, di humihingi ng dagdag. Sbi ni Tatay Lui (palayaw dw nya) ang pray nya kanina sana daw kumita manlang sya para may pambili ng pagkain at gatas. Kc dw pati un iba n nilang damit nabenta n nila ng 20 pesos. Naghiram pa sya ng 100 sa kapitbahay pamasahe mula Tanza hanggang Makati. From 6AM-6AM the next day ang byahe nya. Boundary – P1300 (binawasan ng amo nya ng 200 kc 1500 tlga). Tinanong ko kung magkano na kinita nya from 6AM to 9PM. Naka 1300 n daw sya pero magpapagas p ng 500 at from 12MN – 6AM un na dw un kita nya after boundary. P1300-500=800. Kailangan p nya ng 500 ulit para mabuo un P1300 and the rest kita na nya. Di ko kayang isipin na baka di sya umabot sa boundary fee or kung 200 lng ang matatakehome nya sa 24 hours na pagddrive. Sbi ko wag na sya bumyahe magpahinga na sya babayaran ko un buong boundary nya. Daan kme sa ATM. Bngyan ko sya ng 1300 at dinagdagan ko ng 200 kc di pa sya ng ddinner. Ansaya sya nya at mabbili n nya ng pagkain at gatas ang pamilya nya. Ambait dw ni Lord sabi nya kc grinant un prayer nya. 20 minutes pala sya nag aantay ng pasahero sa tapat ng building ko.
(Rough translation: I can feel the sadness in every word that he said. He is old but he gives all he can for his family. To all those who rides his taxi, he takes them wherever they need to go and he is honest, never asking for additional payment. He said that he prays he would earn enough to buy milk and food. He said that even some of their clothes have been sold for PhP 20. He even borrowed PhP 100 for a neighbor so he can go from Tanza to Makati. He drives from 6AM to 6AM the following day. His bounday is PhP 1300, it should have been PhP 1500 but his boss reduced PhP 200 from it. He said from 12M to 6AM, he was able to earn PhP 1300 but he needs to top up his gas for PhP 500. So, PhP 1300 – PhP 500 = PhP 800. He needs to earn another PhP 500 to complete the PhP 1300 boundary and what’s left is his earnings. I think he might not be able to complete his boundary fee or he might only earn PhP 200 driving 24 hours. So I told him that he just takes a rest and I will pay for his whole boundary. We passed by an ATM. I gave him PhP 1300 and I added PhP 200 because he hasn’t eaten dinner yet. He was very happy and said that he can now buy food and milk for his family. He said that the Lord is really good to grant his prayers. He waited 20 minutes outside of our building until he got a passenger.)
Plano ko tlga umuwi ng maaga after work pero ngaun alam ko n kung bakit late na ko umuwi. Mjo mabigat un inabot ko n pera kay Tatay Lui kc di naman kalakihan ang sweldo ko pero di ako nagdalawang isip kc alam ko mas kailangan nya un kesa sakin.
(Rough translation: I was really planning to go home early from work and I don’t know why I went late instead. I had second thoughts of giving the money to Tatay Lui, it was quite big for me as I was also not earning that much. However, I know he needs it more than I do.)
Paki share po para makarating sa mga taong MAS mabbigyan sila ng tulong.
(Rough translation: Please share this so that more people can see it and maybe help him.)
Wala syang cellphone number kc wala sila cellphone. Uunahin pa b dw ba nya un (pabirong sbi nya).
(Rough translation: He doesn’t have a cellphone number since he has no cellphone. He has other things to prioritize and buy, more than a cellphone, he said jokingly.)
Here’s a photo of Tatay Lui and the details of the taxi he drives.
Have anything to add?
Share your thoughts in the comments.
