By Raul Beltran
People's Journal
Congress will honor a Filipina domestic worker in Hong Kong who found some HK$350,000 (about P2.1 million) but returned the money to its rightful owner, not thinking about the benefits the amount could bring to his impoverished family in the Philippines.
Rep. Carlos Padilla (NP, Nueva Viscaya) said he has begun communicating with the local officials of Nueva Viscaya to give financial assistance to the family of Mildred Perez and, at the same time, bestow her the necessary tribute for her honest deed which, the lawmaker said, should be emulated by every Filipino.
Perez is from Bgy. Aliaga, Bambang, Nueva Viscaya, where she has two daughters.
Padilla described Perez, who reportedly gathers and sells recyclable materials in Hong Kong after she lost her job following her filing a case against her former employer who allegedly tried to assault her, as “one in a million who made the Filipinos proud.â€
“Despite her present difficulties in a foreign land, she did not succumb to temptation that could have changed her life,†Padilla said, noting that Perez only earns about 28 Hong Kong dollars (roughly P228) everyday collecting and selling scraps.
Party-list Representatives Florencio “Bem†Noel (An Waray) and Mujiv Hataman (Anak Mindanaw) agreed that it is “only but fitting and proper†to honor Perez whose action “made every Filipino and the country proud.â€
“She could have easily pocketed the money but she didn’t. Her action was rare, especially for someone whose children cannot attend school because of poverty,†Noel said.
“We support the proposal to honor this OFW and give her family financial assistance,†according to Noel and Hataman.
Based on reports from Hong Kong, Padilla said Perez has filed a complaint against her former employer -- a pastor -- who tried to rape her, a move that caused her her job and prevented her from seeking another employment.
She turned to collecting and selling recyclable materials to support her needs, including extending her visa, which was recently renewed, until her case is resolved.
Reports from Hong Kong said Perez, in the company of a certain David, found the amount, consisting of cash and checks, after renewing her visa at the immigration department on April 29.
The amount totalled HK$350,545, which was returned to its rightful owner through the Hong Kong Information Center.
For her honest deed, Perez was given a can of buttered cookies as a token of gratitude, according to the reports.
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