REWARDED. Reynante Maitim, a taxi driver for six years, is among the 19 honest taxi drivers recognized by the Davao City Police Office on Monday. He was flanked by City Tourism Officer Lisette Marques and DCPO chief Police Senior Superintendent Vicente Danao, Jr. (Ace R. Morandante/davaotoday.com)
‘My conscience cannot bear it. Even if we are having hard times, there is still God who will help us so we should return it.’
DAVAO CITY – For 30 years, Bobby Caminero says returning things his passengers accidentally leave in every taxi cab he drives is something he won’t stop doing.
“Dili makaya sa konsensya Sir, bisan tuod magpait ta, naa pa may ginoo nga mas labaw nga modepensa nato so dapat iuli gyud nato (My conscience cannot bear it. Even if we are having hard times, there is still God who will help us so we should return it),” Caminero told Davao Today.
Caminero, now 52, drove taxis in Cebu and Manila before coming to Davao.
At times, he said, the valuables are too tempting to be kept. But conscience is the thing that always prevails.
On Monday, February 1, Caminero and 18 more taxi drivers were recognized by the local police and tourism office for being the city’s assets in tourism by projecting a good image of Davao City. The awardees include:
– Danilo A. Dumalag of Holiday Taxi
– Roy Arboleda of Holiday Taxi
– Oliver P. Nualla of All Aboard Taxi
– Norberto D. Ayala of Super Happy Taxi
– Welfredo L. Rosalinda of City Premier Taxi
– Samuel A. Apale of Maligaya Taxii
– Victoriano C. Casurra Jr of Maligaya Taxi
– Jose Calles Gohetia of Maro Taxi
– Reynante L. Maitim of STL Taxi
– Richard Labor and Noel S. Ingcal of RGSM taxi
– Roger Calica of Solid Eighty-Eight
– Irigo Sumaliling of Solid Eighty-Eight
– Jupiter Fernandez of Solid Eighty-Eight
– Danilo Lape of Solid Eighty-Eight
– Eduardo Fernandez of Solid Eighty-Eight
– Jerry Kuizon of Solid Eighty-Eight
– Elmer Givertas of Solid Eighty-Eight.
City Director Police Senior Superintendent Vicente Danao said the taxi drivers “reflects what kind of people we have here.”
The event was organized by the Davao City Police Office and was held at Camp Capt. Domingo E. Leonor, this city.
As an appreciation to their good deeds, the drivers received cash prizes and certificates of recognition.
The roster of drivers who received citations were based from the list of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and media reports, according to Police Chief Inspector Milgrace Driz.
Driz said the drivers have returned valuable items such as documents, cellphones and cash amounting from P20,000 to P80,000.
Recognizing Davao’s honest drivers is deemed to be important, said City Tourism Officer Lisette Marques, as they “create the first and last impressions on our visitor’s that can either make or break the city’s image.”
“The first point of contact of domestic and foreign tourists in the city are the taxi drivers who ferry them to various destinations,” she said. (With a report from Ace R. Morandante/davaotoday.com)
