84-year-old driver among Goodyear 'Bayani ng Kalsada' awardees

MANILA, Philippines - An 84-year-old family driver became one of four motorists to receive this year’s “Bayani Ng Kalsada” awards from Goodyear Philippines for good deeds done to fellow motorists on the road.

Juan Manalili, who is also a seasoned mechanic, was nominated for his assisting a group of college students when their car stalled.

Manalili had just dropped his boss’ children at school when he chanced upon the students’ car along Tambo road in Parañaque. Manalili immediately stopped and offered to help, and tinkered with the car’s engine until it started.

The thankful students offered Manalili some cash, which he refused.

“While I still can, I will not stop helping my fellow drivers on the road,” Manalili said in Filipino.

Three other drivers were honored by Goodyear Philippines in simple ceremonies recently at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Makati City.

Also receiving the Bayani Ng Kalsada awards were private motorists Rogelio Bolinto and Eduardo Hagad, and jeepney driver Jose San Jose.

Bolinto, 54, of Benguet province, was on his way to La Trinidad town with his wife when he saw a car parked on the roadside. Sensing car trouble, Bolinto offered his help to the troubled motorist – a pastor.

Seeing that the pastor had no tools with him, Bolinto opened his car’s trunk and spliced the rubber interior of his spare tire. He then used the rubber strips to temporarily fix the pastor’s car engine and got it running. The pastor invited Bolinto and his wife to for a meal at a nearby restaurant, but Bolinto declined, saying he and his wife were already late for an appointment.

Hagad, 37, who works as a supply chain manager for a pharmaceutical firm, was on his way home to Calamba, Laguna along the South Luzon Expressway at about 11 p.m. when he passed a car with one of its tires blown. 

Hagad pulled over and saw two worried girls inside the car. The girls said they didn’t have enough money to pay for the tow truck. Without hesitation, Hagad gave the girls money to have their car towed.  

“The more important thing to do is to ensure their safety, especially at that time of the night. I know exactly how they felt because I was once in their shoes when my tires blew up and no one helped me. I told myself that if I could help prevent people from feeling miserably helpless, I would not think twice offering my assistance to those in need,” Hagad shared.

Meanwhile, 46-year-old San Jose, who plies the EDSA Crossing-Antipolo route, was nominated for the award after he returned to a lady passenger a brown envelope which was left behind in his jeepney. The envelope contained important documents and cash.

In gratitude, the passenger offered to help San Jose land a job abroad, but he declined the offer as he could not leave his wife who was pregnant with their first-born.

“I feel good whenever I am able to help. Helping those in need is one thing our parents taught us through their actual examples,” San Jose said.

Aside from the P30,000 cash award from Goodyear, each of the recipients of the Bayani Ng Kalsada awards also received a trophy, P500,000 worth of Standard Insurance personal accident insurance, a Cebuana Lhuillier peso card pre-loaded with P10,000, a P10,000 Caltex Starcash card, a training certificate from Centro Negosyo worth P3,000, a Revicon Forte gift pack and a food cart worth P10,000 from Filtrepreneur.

Now on its third year, the award was conceived by Goodyear Philippines to promote the concept of road safety and courtesy to consumers.

“These are men who do not see the need to explain why they have to do something good. They just know, in their gut, that the specific circumstances they found themselves in required them to go out of their comfort zones and lend a hand. And they do so without missing a beat,” said Goodyear Philippines president David Morin.

“Goodyear Philippines has been sponsoring this annual search to help remind all motorists to continually do good on the road – not just in following traffic ordinances or ensuring that their tires and vehicles are in tip-top shape – but more so in being quick to be good Samaritans whenever the situation calls for it,” Morin added.