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Mildred Perez: Honest OFW in HK, Nueva Vizcaya hero



While digging on a trash bin to buy her own food, she came upon a bag full of money.

BAYOMBONG, Philippines - After two years of working as a domestic helper in Hongkong, Mildred Perez never thought her dreams of a good life for her family would be wrought with so many frustrations. Before leaving her place of birth in Sitio Anao in Barangay Aliaga, Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya. Mildred’s’s mother averred that she was even ridiculed by some of her neighbors who disapproved of her leaving her family behind just so she can earn more in a foreign land. A naturally warm and friendly person, Mildred’s mother, Aling Erna, said her daughter was also sneered at by some villagers who were spreading rumors that she was a bad example to others. After debts mounted due to hardships and incessant rumors that maligned her person, Mildred, with the help of a sibling through direct hiring, tried her luck in Hong Kong. Hong Kong proved to be a terrible place for her after she alleged that her employer made sexual advances on her. A case of sexual harassment was subsequently filed by Mildred and has since dragged in a Hong Kong court. Left with no source of income and money to go back to the Philippines, Mildred was forced to live with her sister who was also a domestic helper but with little means to support her. She eventually turned to scrounging on garbage bins, collecting trashes that can be recycled. It was during one of her scrounging trips while digging on a trash bin that she came upon a bag full of money, HK $350,545 (US$2,717) in cash and checks worth P2.1 Million Pesos. According to Aling Erna, her daughter called her up one morning and asked her to buy a newspaper so she can read her greetings for her family. Little did the mother know that the papers contained the story of her daughter’s honesty and heroism. Mildred became an instant celebrity. During an interview with GMANews, Aling Erna retold how Mildred, expecting nothing in return, called up the owner of the bag and returned everything. She was given a box of cookies as a reward. A month before the incident during one of their occasional communications, Eddie, Mildred’s husband who works as a tricycle driver, told her of an event when he returned a bag containing P20,000 to a passenger. He was given P10 for his fare home by the owner but he said he never complained since he was given a gift more worthy. “Mas gusto ko mabuhay ng malinis ang konsensya," he said. Mang Andres, Mildred’s father said he is so proud that her siblings and son-in-law grew up to be honest persons and that he hopes these events would finally dispel the unpleasant things told against her daughter. According to Rep, Carlos Padilla of the Lone District of Nueva Vizcaya, Congress has passed House Resolution 1212 on Wednesday night commending the honesty and trustworthiness of Mildred Perez. Padilla, who helped raised some money, confirmed that a P100,000 financial support for Mildred’s family is now ready on top of the P50,000, which will be coming from the provincial government and additional financial support from Mayor Benjamin Cuaresma of Bambang town. Eddie was also offered a job at the provincial office of the Department of Public Works and Highways. Mildred is now waiting for the schedule of her trip back to the country with the help of the Philippine Consulate in Hong Kong. - GMANews.TV
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