The News Today Online

Ronaldo Cabrela: An Antiqueño like no other

Ronaldo Cabrela, a chinito-eyed waiter is in his thirties. Ronnie as he is called in the restaurant is outstandingly tender mannered and simple. He has already come full circle in his restaurant waiting work. An undergraduate of a course in Bachelor of Arts at St. Anthony's College, he worked first as a waiter in one well-known restaurant at the heart of San Jose town while schooling. Feeling it to be too tiresome as a working student, he left and applied for an overseas job. After a stint in one Middle East country, his physical condition prescribes that it will be better off for him to go home.

He is back, this time in Kanyugan, a relatively new garden restaurant owned by Dr. Vicente A. Calibjo, a fine dining place in a garden setting less than a kilometer away from town proper. It has been the venue for many important events of private and government people and offices.

Then one late afternoon of June 4, 2005, Ronnie's life was the same again. A group of nine customers, mostly women escorts, including a Japanese national and his group entered the garden restaurant. He along with the other waiters attended to the guests' needs.

Late after dinner, when the restaurant crew cleaned the tables, he spotted a black clutch bag - quite a bulky one. He perfunctorily deposited the bag to the manager's counter, not even bothering to open it.

Stella Calibjo, the owner manager, thinking it contained a passport and other documents, waited until closing time for the owner to retrieve the items. But no one came, so she decided to look for any identification so she could contact the owner. To her surprise, bundles of crispy cash amounting to P200, 000 and various manager's checks worth $600, 000 met her disbelieving eyes. Not less than P33 million! The fortune is worth many times over their establishment's worth. The amount being big, she decided to take the bag home.

The next day, one of the Japanese's companions came back and inquired about the bag. The restaurant people have gathered in the initial conversation that the group didn't have a specific idea where the Japanese left the bag the night before. It was even suspected that the women escorts must have hidden the money. The Calibjos wasted no time in revealing the truth. After the bag was returned, the Japanese, for quite an unusual reason, didn't even call back to thank them nor express a simple gesture of gratitude.

Was it because it was now publicly known that he was with escort women, or was it because he did not want himself to be identified as having such big amount of money?

'I did only what I should do. I don't dwell on what others call as 'lost opportunity', Ronnie said.

'The money was more than enough for us to close shop. But that didn't come to our mind at that time. The only regret we have was, because of good faith, we didn't even bother to get the name of the owner nor the identification of the retriever', said the Calibjos.

They have lost nothing. Ronnie will still continue to do what is expected of a true worker - hardworking, modest and a trustworthy Antiqueño. The Calibjos still radiate the same Antiqueño warmth that accentuates their cozy garden surroundings.

'One can pay back the loan of gold, but one dies forever in debt to those who are kind', so says the Malaysian proverb that may be aptly applied to the Japanese owner of the recovered bag.

(erb/PIO Antique)