Jan Carlo Colocado was walking along Taguig when he saw an old man selling items while wiping his sweat away. Later that day, he came across the old man again but this time, Colocado noticed that tears were being wiped off. Saddened by the scene, Colocado approached the old man to find out what he was selling. The old man, known as Mang Romy, was selling otap and encouraged Colocado to buy two packs because at 4:00 pm on that day,he hasn’t sold anything yet. When he did so, Mang Romy spilled tears of joy, which made Colocado remember the moment.

After talking to Mang Romy, Colocado found out that he is actually from Las Piñas but traveled to Taguig by foot to earn some income. Public transportation was not available at the time and he hasn’t earned enough to avail it.

Touched by his story, Colocado called for help from netizens. “Posting this to seek help in behalf of tatay who keeps on working hard to at least provide for his family despite our current situation now. Most of us nahihirapan din at nag-i-strive sa buhay ngayon pero sa maliit na halaga we can actually give a huge help to people like him na kahit matanda na di pa rin basta sumusuko at nagsisikap pa rin para makapagprovide,” he wrote on social media

It didn’t take long for the post to go viral, netizens became curious as to how they can help. The next day, it was proven that a little goes a long way as Mang Romy and Colocado yielded productive results. The uploader was quick to help Mang Romy with the generosity of the netizens.

First, they bought a smartphone for Mang Romy so that he can have an account for donations.

Next, they went to the buy Mang Romy some groceries.

Afterwards, Colocado showed Mang Romy his new phone, groceries, and even shoes that a netizen bought for him.

This encounter is not only a great telling of the hard work of Filipinos to care for their families but also the care each Filipino has for one another. After only one encounter, Colocado was touched by Mang Romy and posted, thus touching the hearts of thousands of more Filipinos. Through the tough times of the pandemic, Mang Romy and Jan Colocado are a great example of how we should always care for one another.

Photo Credit: Facebook/Jan Carlo Colocado