If you can’t imagine “MMDA enforcers” being mention in the same sentence as “angels,” reading the story below will probably change your perspective.
J.M. Mercado of Quezon City encountered an unexpected car trouble while driving home during a most unholy hour.
“It was a quarter to 3 AM,” wrote Mercado in a Facebook post. “And there I was, right smack in the middle of Katipunan Avenue, just a kémbot and a half away from home. But my car was stalled and wouldn’t start.”
Mercado continued, “I was at the Ateneo Gate 3 intersection, and I was a sitting duck. I watched the stoplight change colors helplessly as cars and trucks honked at me and switched lanes with almost audible irritation, despite my hazard lights being on.”
After several failed attempts to start the vehicle, Mercado no longer knew what to do – and he didn’t want to see any MMDA officer in the area.
“I knew that once they spotted me, it was game over,” he said.
Much to his luck, a group of MMDA officers in bikes did appear on the side of the road after 10 minutes – and they strated to walk towards his direction.
Mercado now fondly recalls:
“All my fears, however, melted away as soon as one of the officers gave me the friendliest smile one could ever hope for at that time of night and said, with a concerned and consoling laugh, “Sir, ano pong nangyari?””
The poor guy then narrated his bad experience and confessed he had no idea how to fix his vehicle. To his surprise though, they offered to help him out.
“They asked me to open up my car’s hood to see what was wrong. When we opened it up—which I should have done in the first place—, we discovered that my car’s radiator cap had popped off, probably because it wasn’t screwed on properly, they surmised…”
To cut the long story short, the officers were able to get the engine going.
“I gushed with gratitude,” Mercado shared. “They all began to merrily hop on their bikes and call it a day, but I couldn’t resist giving them a nominal amount for their trouble. After all, helping me out wasn’t exactly their job, but they went out of their way—literally stopping traffic in the process—to help me.”
“They all refused the money! Not once, not twice, but thrice! But I insisted because it felt right to me. I know that it’s not something that they should expect—which they didn’t—but I felt that they deserved a small token of appreciation for doing something they were under no obligation to do.”
Eventually, Mercado had to settle for the idea of simply taking their pictures and posting about the experience on social media.
“I… requested for their names, and they laughed as I asked to take their picture. “Ilalagay ko sa Facebook!” I told them.
“So here they are: Messrs. Bobby Caindoy, Juan Pagulayan, Alden Pisebre, and Rodelito Tibus.
“These are the men who chose to help me with no thought of reward. These are the men who made me feel safe throughout the entire thing, dispelling all my unfounded fears.”
Mercado concluded with these heartwarming words: “I guess not all angels have wings. Some of them have uniforms. And bikes!”
As of this writing, Mercado’s Facebook post has gained over 25,000 likes and over 4,000 shares.