This couple found a new friend while traveling in Taiwan last January 2025.
“Day one po, grabe na po kasi ‘yung care niya. Kasi ‘yung parents ko po is mga senior po, tapos lagi niya pong gina-guide. ‘Yung son ko po is baby po siya. Dahil bundok-bundok po ‘yung pinupuntahan namin, kinukuha niya po sa amin, sabi niya, siya na po ‘yung bahala. Tapos sabi ko, ‘wow,”” Shey Erese-Sanchez shared with The Philippine STAR.
Adding, “Eh, ‘pag pa naman po ‘yung mommy ka, tapos nakita mong may taong mahilig sa bata, mabilis kang ma-attach. ‘Yung gano’n po, ‘yung care niya po sa amin, talagang parang family po. Kaya tinawag po namin siyang Uncle.”
The man from the video was Fred Yu, a driver in Taiwan who they fondly called “uncle.”
“Tinuring niya kaming family nung nagpunta kami sa Taiwan. Laging sinasabi na, ‘You are a family, we are family,’” Bin, Shey’s husband, said.
Shey and Bin first traveled in March 2024 with their family. Since they loved the country, they went back in January 2025 where they hired uncle as their driver to roam around Taiwan.
“Nag-book po kami ng family tour. Siya po ang naging tour guide namin. Na-feel namin ‘yung pagce-care niya, pagbaba sa sasakyan, paghahawak sa parents namin, sa baby namin, tinuring niya ring apo niya,” the couple recalled.
From their arrival until the end of the trip, uncle took time to take care of their family while discovering the country.
After two months, they went back to Taiwan for their wedding anniversary trip.
“Nakaka-sepanx. Binalikan namin si uncle.Sa span of two months po, ang nakuha lang namin is ‘yung Viber number niya since kapag may papasundo na kami, cha-chat namin siya. Pero wala naman kami talaga ‘yung constant exchange of messages,” Bin said.
“Since na-touch kami nung first time namin visit niya, ang plinano talaga namin pagbalik namin is i-return ‘yung favor. Parang ‘yung hospitality naman ng Filipino, ‘yun ‘yung iparamdam namin sa kanya. We decided na pasalubungan siya ng mga snacks na in-enjoy natin dito sa Philippines,” he added.
Uncle couldn’t believe that the couple brought so much Filipino goodies just for him.
“For the entire five days namin na stay doon, di namin akalain na hindi niya kami bibitawan. Parang may naka-set kami nang itinerary na naka-DIY kami. Since dalawa lang kami. We did not expect it from him,” Bin said.
“Binilhan niya ng pasalubong ‘yung mga anak namin. Sobrang na-touch din ako dun sa ginawa niya, na may tao pa lang gagawa nun para sa amin. Sabi ko, one of a kind talaga si uncle,” Shey added.
Since then, uncle became their extended family in Taiwan and promised to visit him whenever they can.
“Sabi ko, babalik at babalik talaga kami sa Taiwan. Hindi lang ‘yung Taiwan ‘yung babalikan namin. Siya din. Because we have family in Taiwan na po. Siya na ‘yung nili-look forward din namin na puntahan,” the couple noted.
When they uploaded their experience and unexpected friendship with uncle, many individuals contacted him and boosted his business.
“Ang daming nagme-message sa amin, hinahanap na si uncle. ’Yung mga gustong mag-tour ng Taiwan, siya ‘yung nire-request. So, sabi nga ni uncle, puno na daw ‘yung inbox,” Shey happily said.
