Motor shop employee returns bag with P74,700 cash, jewelry to owner in Cavite

GENERAL TRIAS, Cavite — A 23-year-old shop employee returned a bag containing ₱74,700 in cash, foreign currency and jewelry to its owner after finding it abandoned on a street here Saturday, earning praise from his employer and the owner.

Cyrus Dela Cruz, a resident of Summer Pine Subdivision in Barangay San Jose II, Noveleta, has worked for more than a year at Three Kings Motor Shop JDP in Barangay Pasong Camachile-I, owned by Mike Evander Presa.

Dela Cruz found the brown bag outside the shop around 11:10 a.m. while returning from buying a snack. Instead of opening it outside, he brought it inside the shop, where security cameras were present, and immediately notified his employer before opening it.

The bag contained ₱74,700 in cash, assorted foreign currency, two Samsung cellphones, keys and jewelry including two bracelets, two rings, two necklaces and seven pairs of earrings.

Within the hour, someone called one of the phones. Dela Cruz answered and confirmed the owner as Miriam Alcantara, 63, of Barangay Pascam I.

Alcantara, who broke down in tears upon recovering her belongings intact, embraced Dela Cruz and gave him ₱1,000 as a token of gratitude.

“Cyrus, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for your honesty,” Alcantara said. “I thought I would never see my bag and its contents again. Because of you, I recovered not only my belongings but also my faith that there are still good people in our society. I will never forget your kindness. May God bless you and your family for being a good example to all of us.”

Presa, the shop owner, said he was proud of his employee.

“As the owner of Three Kings Motor Shop JDP, I am extremely proud of Cyrus,” Presa said. “The honesty he showed is proof of his good character and of the trust we have placed in him. Not everyone can resist temptation, especially when a large sum of money is at stake, but he chose to do the right thing. He is an inspiration not only to our business but to the community as well.”