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| Oribio took a shot of the money given her before returning the extra $1,000 to her employer |
For a domestic helper earning $4,520 a month, an extra
$1,000 in her salary is a windfall.
But when her employer gave that much extra when paying her
salary, Jybhel Marie Oribio knew it was a mistake, so she gave it back.
Her deed gained praises from her fellow Filipinos, who said
she did the right thing.
Oribio, 34 and a single mom, said the overpayment happened
this afternoon, Jul 28.
“Nakita ko po kasi na parang napadami yung inabot niya sa akin,
kasi siya po ang nagbilang habang nasa kusina ako at naghuhugas ng pinggan,”
Oribio said.
“Sabi ko po kay Ma’am, ‘Thank you po, Ma’am, pero ibabalik
ko po yung perang binigay nyo kasi sobra po, hindi po ito ang eksaktong sahod
ko’,” Oribio said.
Her employer counted the money again then laughed, and
thanked her repeatedly, Oribio said. “Sinundan pa ako sa room ko para mag-thank
you ulit,” she added.
Oribio’s act of honesty reaped words of approval from her
fellow domestic workers who read her post on the DWC Help Group page on
Facebook.
Lesliann
Laureano, a fellow helper, commented on Oribio’s post that her
employer could have tested her honesty.
“Baka nga, Sis, sinubukan ka lang din ni amo. Pero mas maganda
talagang may busilak na puso. Iyan ang tama, huwag tayo masisilaw sa bagay na
di naman sa atin,” she said.
Several other commenters said returning the money was the
right thing to do because Oribio’s employer might just be testing her. Others
said they had the same experience.
Maya Nunez
said her employer also overpaid her more than once, but each time she returned
the extra money. “Kaya minsang sinabihan kong sumobra ulit, ibinigay na lang niya
sa akin,” she said.
In another comment, Wilma Lyn
Soria Olayvar said the same thing happened to her thrice and she was
not sure whether it was due to her female employer getting older.
Another Filipina shared that her male employer once left $20,000 in his pants' pocket. She noticed it after she had put the pants inside the washing machine and the money started getting the water discolored. Alerted, the employer took the wad of bills himself from the washer.
Another reader, Yoki Coronado, related a different experience. She said once her previous employer asked her to clean her bag, which she found to be full of money.
She said the employer would ask her everyday about her missing cellphone or expensive watch, but the maid would not help her search because she suspected the employer was just up to something. When she got fed up, she asked the employer to fire her.
But Oribio said her employer, her second in Hong Kong , is genuinely kind. She has been serving the employer,
along with her child, for the past one and a half years.
The maid said she came here three and a half years ago to be
able to help her family and support her daughter, who is 16.
