04 February 2014
His good deed has made him reap accolades and rewards, the latest of which were scholarships for technical-vocational training.
On February 4, Jony Villon received scholarship vouchers from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in a special ceremony that feted him for returning $4,800 (around P218,000) to its rightful owner.
The 41-year-old Villon, a porter working at the Terminal 1 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), found the money left on a baggage pushcart last week, and immediately returned it to the owner.
"The money could have brought him material things, but not peace of mind," said Secretary Joel Villanueva, TESDA director general.
"Jony Villon showed us that no matter what problems we face in life, we should not resort to dishonesty. He should inspire all of us," he said.
With the scholarship vouchers, Villanueva said that Villion and several members of his family could avail of TESDA's free training in any program of their choice under the agency’s Training for Work Scholarship Program (TWSP).
TESDA and its network of public and private institutions offer various courses that Villon could enrol in to learn new skills that would provide him other opportunities to earn additional income, Villanueva added.
"The rewards of quality education are life changing. It could unlock fresh opportunities for employment that could help improve lives of families," he said.
Villon's good deed also helped paint a positive image of porters and pushcart retrievers, Villanueva said.
"We often see them as people in the airports hounding passengers for tips. Jony Villon proved that they are a lot better than that," he said.
According to reports, Villon found the money in an envelope left by Jovy Escarpio in a baggage pushcart. Escarpio, who came home from Europe, was asked by a fellow worker to hand the money to his wife, Cristina Alcaraz.
Escarpio was quoted as saying that he took out the envelope from his bag and placed it in the pushcart, and forgot about it.
Villon has received financial help from people who were touched by his honesty.
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