ExpatMedia.Net exclusive: Filipino expats in Dubai want to trace honest taxi driver who returned 14,000 pesos left in his car, says woman he helped

  DUBAI – She thought she had forever lost her wallet containing 14,000 pesos, but in a stroke of luck, she got all of it back, including a few more nice surprises. Richelle Ann Santos—who posted on Facebook details about her recent encounter with an honest taxi driver in the Philippines—has become an internet sensation almost overnight. Her post went viral on the social media site with nearly 9,000 shares as of Thursday (June 16). She’s also scheduled for an interview with a Philippine TV station and her Facebook account has been flooded with new friend requests, Santos told ExpatMedia.Net in an exclusive interview. One driver’s good deed has inspired so many people, she said. “Ang mga nag message sa akin halos lahat taga Dubai. Kinukuha ang number ni manong driver (Those who have sent me messages are mostly from Dubai. They want to get the driver’s number),” she told ExpatMedia.Net, “Para daw pag-uuwi sila dito sa Pinas si Kuya Ramil ang tatawagan nila (They said that if they would come home to the Philippines they would call big brother Ramil)." Santos, who works as a sales administrator for a car dealership in Manila, said she did not expect her post to go viral. “Kasi kinukwento ko lang naman ang nangyari sa akin (I was just recounting what happened to me),” she said. But the real star of the story, she said, is Ramil Modanza, the 47-year-old taxi driver who gave her a ride that fateful day on June 6 and whom many on social media have hailed a “hero” for returning the money that Santos left in his taxi. Money lost, money found Recounting what happened, Santos said she had withdrawn cash at SM Aura to spend on the birthday of her 7-year-old daughter and had flagged down Modanza’s taxi on her way home. The driver, however, couldn’t drop her off in Makati due to a vehicle coding restriction, so she got off in haste at the nearest stop. “Late ko na napansin nung nakababa na ako na wala at naiwan ko yung wallet ko... Nawindang ako! Sobrang kaba ko. Sising sisi ako bakit ko winidraw. Sana kinabukasan na lang. Nanghinayang ako sa nawalang pera pati ATM ko, mga government ID and health card ng anak ko andun. Hindi ko na alam ano ang gagawin ko kasi hindi ko nakuha ang plate number ng taxi (I noticed it late after I alighted from the taxi that I had left my wallet behind. I was perplexed! I was so nervous. I regretted why I withdrew the money when I could have done it the next day. I felt bad about losing the money, including my ATM card, government ID and my daughter’s health card. I didn’t know what to do because I was not able to jot down the taxi’s plate number),” she said. She arrived home in a state of shock. The loss had bothered her so much that she couldn’t sleep. So she went online to check Facebook. Then, a message appeared in her inbox. It was the message she didn’t expect. Modanza’s son had traced her online and told her that his father found her wallet with the money in his taxi and asked where they could return it to her. Santos was overcome with a mixture of happiness, gratitude and disbelief. “What amazed me is that it's rare to find honest people these days,” she told ExpatMedia.Net, describing Modanza as a man with a pure heart. She met Modanza and his wife the next day and the family has been on her speed dial ever since. She has found a new friend and inspiration for life. “Mali pala ako. Meron pa pala talagang natitirang mabubuting tao na busilak ang kalooban. Saludo ako sayo manong driver. Sana po tularan pa kayo ng ibang mga taxi driver (I was wrong. There are still people out there who are good with a kind heart. I salute you, Mr. driver. I hope more taxi drivers will follow your example),” she said. ICA/Expat Media   Also read: Untold story of 'hero' taxi driver Ramil 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