Thank God for honest people.

Last Sunday (April 6, 2008), at about 4:45pm, I used the atm machine outside the BDO SM City Baguio Branch. However, I was not able to withdraw. The screen read “Transaction Cancelled”. I waited for the machine to eject my atm card then walked away with my aunt and uncle. We were no more than a few meters away from the atm machine when a man in a white shirt and jeans ran up to us and asked me whether I was the last person to use the atm. I said yes. He asked me how much I was trying to withdraw, I said three thousand pesos. He told me that after I had left, the machine coughed up the money I was trying to withdraw. He showed us his ID, hidden under his shirt, and told us that he was a spotter. After a moment of shock, I thanked him profusely, and so did my aunt and uncle. I checked my bank balance right after the incident just to make sure the money was indeed mine. It was.

I cannot remember his face nor his name. I cannot even remember whether he was an SM employee or a BDO employee. I was so taken aback by what had just happened. I thought to myself, if this had happened in Manila, I would have lost the money. I am not a rich person by any standard, so three thousand pesos means something, though not everything to me. I would not have wept, but I would have been very annoyed by the thought that I could have spent the money on something worthwhile.

The man was probably just doing his job, but I would like to commend him and to thank him just the same. I also would like to laud the efforts of the BDO SM City Baguio Branch for a job well done.