Taxi driver offers free rides to medical frontliners

Medical frontliners are expressing their gratitude to an unknown taxi driver who has been offering them free rides.

As reported by Oscar Oida on “24 Oras” Wednesday, it was the second time for nurses Johnasse Sebastian Naval and his girlfriend to ride the taxi driven by a man known only as Kuya Ariel.

The report showed a video Johnasse took from the cab’s backseat of Kuya Ariel holding a sign that read, “basta frontliner, libre.”

“Nagtataka po ako bakit hindi niya pinipindot ’yung metro. Tapos maganda ko naman sinabi na, ‘kuya nakalimutan niyo po ’ata pindutin yung metro.’ Tapos bigla niya po inangat yung placard,” said Johnasse.

Johnasse said at first, they thought Kuya Ariel was going to turn them away because they were health workers, citing the discrimination they faced.

“Akala ko po, pabababain kami, kasi diba ’yung stigma po ngayon na ’pag frontliner, may mga nababalitaan tayo na pinapaalis doon sa lugar nila, o kaya may diskriminasyon po. So natakot po kami,” he said.

Johnasse said the driver told him he wasn’t charging them as a way to “give back.”

“Give back daw po nya ’yun para daw makatulong siya, kasi nakikita niya daw po ’yung paghihirap po namin ngayon.”

Another nurse, Kate Napoles, said she had also been a passenger of Kuya Ariel. That day, she said she was close to crying due to exhaustion and hopelessness, but the taxi driver’s gesture made her feel better.

“Naiiyak na po ako talaga noong time na ’yun kasi sobrang down na kami, ’yung mga health workers wala po kaming masakyan papasok. Nandiyan po siya,” she said.

Internal medical doctor Celito Tamban, another passenger, said he couldn’t forget what Kuya Ariel told him before he got off the taxi.

“Ang sabi niya sa akin, ‘doc laban lang. We know na hindi madali ’yung pinagdadaanan ng mga frontliner. Tandaan niyo na may mga taong naniniwala at sumusuporta sa inyo,’” he said.

“Kaya noong instant po na iyon, pagbabang pagbaba ko ng taxi, naiyak po ako.” 

The frontliners shared their messages to Kuya Ariel, whose identity is still unknown to this day.

“Maraming salamat, sana marami ka pang matulungan,” said Johnasse.

“Sobrang salamat po sa simpleng bagay na ’yon. Nakakataba po ng puso na naa-appreciate niyo kaming mga health workers, lahat po ng mga sakripisyo namin,” said Kate.

“I really pray that the Lord will continue to bless you so that you continue to be a blessing to other people,” said Doc Celito. – RC, GMA News