Good Samaritan drives 77-year-old man home
These are tough times we’re in, with COVID-19 affecting thousands of people, and the lockdown making it hard for most to live their day-to-day lives.
Luckily, despite the hardships, there has been no shortage of stories of Filipinos being Good Samaritans to their fellow countrymen to restore our faith in humanity.
Jan Michael Santos, a teacher from Malabon City, is a prime example. Most of us just pass each other and mind our own business when we see someone walking down the road we’re driving on. But Santos decided to do the opposite when he saw an old man alongside a highway and gave him a ride home.
The lolo who walked from Bacoor to Imus and back
Due to #LuzonLockdown ang isang 77 year-old na Lolo ay 7 oras na naglalakad sa kahabaan ng Aguinaldo Hi-way. Bacoor-Imus-Bacoor para kunin ang isang herbal plant. Buti nalang ay nakita namin si lolo sa daan. @ABSCBNNews @bayanmo @KM_Jessica_Soho @gmanews @korinasanchez1 pic.twitter.com/IF42oQXNFH
— Dejhh Reveligia Maputi (@Dejhh03) April 1, 2020
It turned out that the grandpa, Lolo Adma, whom Santos stopped for had been walking back from his sister’s house after going there to fetch an herbal plant. Lolo Adma, who lived in Talaba, Bacoor, had to walk to his sister’s home in Patindig Araw, Imus, and back, since the lockdown prevented the usual public transportation from operating.
So what would have taken around an hour during a normal commute turned into a strenuous, 7-hour walk, where the 77-year-old man had to take several pauses to catch his breath.
Santos pulls a Good Samaritan
Fortunately, Lolo Adma didn’t have to walk any further. Santos saw the grandpa, who was walking along the side of the road on his way to buy groceries from the market, and the teacher to stop the car and roll his window down.
After talking to the old man and finding out that he had been walking for 7 hours, with a cane, while carrying an herbal plant, Santos didn’t hesitate to offer him a ride back to his home in Talaba. The teacher also offered the lolo money for medicine and a little extra for his personal spending.
Netizens react to the heartwarming act
Santos later posted the video to Twitter, and the seemingly simple but kind act didn’t go unnoticed by netizens, with many thanking Santos on behalf of the lolo in their replies to the thread.
Image credit: @cityburnicole
Ange, a student from the school where Santos teaches, is the one who retweeted the tweet and made it go viral, expressing how heartbreaking Lolo Adma’s situation is and how she hopes God blesses her Sir JM for his thoughtful act.
Image credit: @TeefiCaranza
Another Twitter user who goes by the name of Teefi replied with a reminder, saying “Wow. This crushes my heart. Please do not hesitate to lend a hand. Keep helping other people.”
How you can help
Video credit: DJ Maputi
And keep helping, Santos did. After his initial interaction with Lolo Adma, Santos went back to Talaba to give lolo a visit. You can check out his vlog of it on his Youtube channel.
In the video, Santos explained that lolo had been living alone after all his children moved out, so any help passers-by can offer would be much appreciated. If you’re around the area, you can ask for Lolo Adma’s exact address from Talaba 1’s barangay hall, where lolo was dropped off since his house is around the area.
Filipino teacher’s good deed
If you’re not in the area, you can just pass on Santos’s good deed to anyone in need that you might run into on your next grocery run. You never know how much you can help a person with a simple act of kindness.
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Cover image adapted from: Dejhh Maputi