All he wanted was to turn over a Blackberry cellphone that he found but tricycle driver Miller Rio Janayan got the surprise of his life and a few minutes of fame when he was ushered to see Mayor Manuel Sagarbarria in his office.
Janayan, driver of tricycle number 1026, had just dropped off a passenger last Thursday and was in search of more passengers when he heard a ring tone of a cellular phone in the empty passenger seat beside him.
Instead of answering the call, Janayan proceeded directly to the Traffic Management Office (TMO), who returned the cellphone to its owner–Acting Deputy Executive Director Carminda Arevalo of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines.
Arevalo was in Dumaguete to witness the transfer of the historical marker of Dr. Jose Rizal at the Quezon Park Thursday afternoon. Arevalo was happy to see her cellphone that she left a cash reward of P1,000 for Janayan.
TMO Chief Danny Atillo contacted Janayan Friday morning and as soon as Janayan showed up at the TMO, he was immediately escorted by City Tourism Officer Woodrow Maquiling Jr. to the Mayor’s office.
There, Mayor Manuel Sagarbarria handed over the cash reward and expressed his admiration to Janayan for being an example to his fellow tricycle drivers in the city.
Sagarbarria said Janayan proved that ordinary people are capable of doing extraordinary deeds for the betterment of society.