CITY OF MALOLOS— Forty eight year old Ronald Gadayan, a janitor at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 2 still could not believe that the mop, rags, and bottles of liquid cleaners he cuddles every day for fifteen years now would one day become “gold medals on his chest”.
During Monday’s celebration of National Heroes Day, Bulacan, the birthplace of Marcelo H. Del Pilar, Gregorio del Pilar, Trinidad Tecson, Deodato Arellano and so many other great heroes of our nation did not only honoured those in statues and monuments, but live heroes like Gadayan who goes to work every day and whose heroism are still counting.
Gadayan who was recognized as “Asia’s Most Trustworthy, Outstanding Janitor, and Humanitarian Hero” at the 9th Asia Pacific Luminaire Awards last month was hailed as a local hero and was accorded a hero’s treat.
In celebration of the hero’s day, SM City Marilao hosted “A Day in the Mall,” to Gadayan and his family as an outstanding Bulakenyo. “A Day in the Mall” is SM’s heartwarming event celebrating an unsung hero whose values continue to inspire many, says SM City Marilao mall manager Emmanuel Gatmaitan.
Also, Gatmaitan said, SM’s Honesty Campaign is anchored on the “A Day in the Mall” event which aims to reward deserving community members who have demonstrated exemplary honesty by returning lost valuables or money.
Gadayan and his family was provided a free-shopping spree, a sumptuous dinner, a movie treat and an amusement and game treats.
Gadayan from Norzagaray town who has been working as janitor in NAIA Terminal 2 for fifteen years now since he was 28 years old, made headlines in 2012 for returning items left by passengers on different occasions and areas at the airport, including money amounting to P2.4 million, a wad of cash worth $5,000, and a bag left behind by a Cebu-bound passenger containing over P600,000 in cash and valuables. Up to this day, Gadayan continuously practices good deeds. Earlier this month, he returned cash worth P17,000 and other valuables left by a Chinese businessman at the airport.
Gadayan said that he could no longer exactly recall how many times he had waited for an hour within the vicinity of the comfort room he is assigned at the NAIA Terminal 2 to wait for passengers who have left valuable materials from wallets with huge cash money of local and foreign currencies, tablets, laptops, jewelries, cellphones, passports and other for them to claim.
When no one showed up to claim them, he said, he brought them to the Lost and Found Section of NAIA Terminal 2.
For so many occasions, foreign nationals and Filipinos whose valuables were claimed back because he honestly returned them all have wanted to reward him with cash money, but Gadayan rejected them all in exchange of only one thing, that is, to spread the honesty and good deeds he has done.
“Hindi ko tinanggap kahit ano, ang sabi ko sa kanilang lahat, ang hihilingin ko na lang ay ibalita nila sa bansa nila na may janitor sa NAIA 2 na honest, nagsauli ng gamit nila. Iyang Terminal 2 kasi ang bagsakan ng mga banyaga. Ang imahe kasi ng airport natin napakapangit, napakasama, iyong sabihin nila na naka-experience sila ng iba naman, ng mabuti naman ng maganda naman, dahil sa munti kong nagawa, napakalaking bagay na iyon para sa ating mga Filipino, para sa ating bansa. Kasi, ang totoo, marami pa ring matitino, nadadamay lang ang iba, doon sa sinasabing empleyado na magnanakaw,” (I did not accept whatever it was. What I told them and what I asked them is for them to tell and share with the people in their respective nations the good deed I have done, that there is a janitor in NAIA Terminal 2 who is honest and returned all their valuables. Terminal 2 is the melting point of foreigners. The image of our airport is really wrecked and back. But when they tell what they have experienced, it is a different story, it was a good and beautiful thing, it really meant huge and great to the Filipino people and to our country. The truth is there are still so many good employees and others were just being likened to the thefts), Gadayan told the media in an interview.
“It really felt good and great that Australian, US citizens, Chinese people, other foreigners and even our fellow Filipinos are posting in their social media accounts the honest thing I did by returning their valuables,” he said. “The negative impressions on us and in our airports are being lessened,” he said.
“These are really important to me. I have shown the world what my father, who was a security guard, and my mother, a plain housewife, have taught me, which is not to take what is not mine. I still do not believe that I will be called a modern day and a live hero. Today, I am even more blessed and thankful that SM gifted me and my whole family on this hero’s day,” he added.
According to Gadayan, he is not a sole soul in NAIA Terminal 2 who does heroic deeds every day in their lives. He said the rest of the janitors in the world can also do what they are doing. “Even though we are low in status in life, whatever we find in the comfort room and in the places of our works which are not ours, and that while we are in dire need every day, let us not take them as ours. Let us return them. Let us think of our family who in return could be affected by negative and bad karma,” he said.
Rosalie, Gadayan’s wife, told reporters that blessings poured to their family as a result of the good deeds of her husband. She said her children were able to get a scholarship for their education and despite the meager P600 a day salary of her husband, they have managed to financially, socially and morally survive in their everyday lives.
According to Ronald, while he failed to reach his ambition of becoming a policeman and just ended up being a janitor, he can still serve and protect people through the “honest and good deeds” he does every day at NAIA Terminal 2.
For Harold, his 21 year old son and two daughters Hanna Marie and Hazel Anne, their father will always be their hero. “We will always be proud of our father, he is our daily inspiration in life. Being poor does not mean being poor also in character and good deeds. My father is a very “wealthy man” in terms of honesty and kindness. That is his legacy to us, his three children. We will, emulate his heroism,” he told NEWS CORE.
In Christmas of 2023, Gadayan donated his 13th month bonus for the victims of typhoon Egay and Falcon.
Gadayan was also awarded the “Asia’s Man of Exceptional Community Service, Honest Filipino, and Inspiring Hero of the Year” at Asia’s Humanitarian Hero Awards 2024; “A Man of Compassion and Most Trusted Employee of the Year” at the Dakilang Filipino Awards 2024; and the “Bagong Bayani Award” by the Office of the Ombudsman in 2019. The province of Bulacan also passed a resolution recognizing his honesty in 2013 and granted him the “Gawad Katapatan” award. In 2012, he was named Outstanding Citizen by no less than Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle.
This year, Gadayan is set to receive recognition as “Most Honest Filipino Janitor and Inspiring Hero of the Year” at the Gawad Bayaning Pilipino 2024.
