Netizens and volunteers were deeply moved after a bighearted man donated what little he had for the victims of the massive earthquake in Cebu.
A post uploaded by Rotarian and volunteer Jennivieve Abelgas Caminero went viral after she shared photos of the man who dropped by the Rotary District 3860 Bangon North Cebu donation drop-off site to give his ₱19 coins as a donation for the earthquake victims.
According to the uploader, the man arrived in unkempt clothes, carrying a sack, and approached them to hand over his small donation.
“Nag-approach siya, nagtanong lang kung pwede ba siyang mag-donate, tapos naglabas siya ng ₱19,” Caminero said in a message to LatestChika.com, adding that they initially weren’t supposed to accept it since they only accept donations via bank transfer.
In her post, Caminero shared that the man even offered to come back another day to bring clothes to donate.
“It was so inspiring and heartwarming to experience firsthand, especially this kind of selfless act of love and kindness from someone who didn’t have much to give, but still offered a heartfelt donation,” she said in a message to LatestChika.com.
Caminero said they never expected the story to go viral, but soon messages began pouring in from people who wanted to send cash for the man, as well as donations for the earthquake victims.
Inspired by his act of kindness, many others began donating too; taxi drivers dropped off ₱55 and ₱100, while a netizen sent ₱200 online.
From that single viral post, Caminero said they have already received over ₱100,000 in donations, on top of direct contributions to their official relief channel.
“It’s just so inspiring to see how a little act of kindness can inspire so many people to share their blessings, no matter how little they think they have,” Caminero said.
She added that the impact has rippled far beyond Cebu, with donations coming in from Manila and even from Filipinos abroad.
The man, later identified by his sister-in-law, reached out to Caminero after recognizing him from the viral posts circulating online.
According to his family, “Tatay” is a person with a disability and has a mental condition. Though he often appears disheveled, his family assured the public that he is not neglected.
“Actually, Tatay comes from a family na okay naman ‘yung situation, hindi naman talaga siya pinabayaan,” Caminero explained, citing the man’s relative.
“Their house actually is open 24/7 because tatay comes home any time of the day. So whenever tatay comes, it’s always open, and there’s always food on the table, making sure that tatay is taken care of. Madungis talaga siya everytime kasi kung saan-saan siya natutulog.
When his family learned from the viral post that it was him who gave the ₱19, they were moved to tears.
“They were crying because they didn’t know na sa simpleng paghingi-hingi niya ng ₱10 o ₱20 from the family, they didn’t know that their uncle had such a big heart to share kahit ₱19 lang.”
Tatay’s small act of kindness has now touched thousands, showing that real generosity isn’t about how much you give, but the thought and heart behind it.
“You don’t really have to have a lot to share your blessings and be a blessing to other people,” Caminero added.
