Honesty, the Ivatan way

Our thanks goes out to Batanes Governor Vicente Gato for doing the right thing and showing us what an honest people the Ivatans are. At the domestic airport x-ray machine, Gov Gato’s aide had mistenly picked up a black bag containing $18T that belonged to a Japanese reporter. The money was returned the next day to the overjoyed reporter.

My wife had told me several years ago, when our foundation was setting up a wifi hotspot in Batanes, how surprised she was when the rooms to their hotel had no locks in them! Ang sagot ng housecleaning staff - “don’t worry, no one will steal your things here”! Another friend who used to work in Batanes would tell me how complete strangers would go up to her at the Batanes airport and entrust her with cash - to be later picked up by relatives when my friend arrived in Manila.

It’s still that kind of place - where people trust one another, and people live honest lives.

For more on $18T incident, click here.