A PORTER at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1 (Naia 1) was commended on Tuesday by airport officials for returning $5,600 in cash left by a returning Filipino worker from Abu Dhabi in his pushcart at the parking area.

Naia action officer Danilo Chua identified the porter as Manuel Augis, 35, of Sun Valley Subdivision, Parañaque City. He is in charge of collecting pushcarts at the Parking “A” area.

Chua said Augis heard some passengers of the same flight where the passenger alighted, denying ownership of a bag left behind in a pushcart.

Augis took possession of the bag and took it to the office of Chua at the arrival area. Chua then called an airport police for proper documentation.

Augis, Chua and a Naia policeman, Cpl. Julius Maligalig, were typing the report when a woman came and claimed ownership of the bag.

“Sa akin iyang bag [That bag is mine],” said Ulama Bailon Kasan, who arrived onboard an Etihad Airlines flight from Abu Dhabi at 4:40 p.m. on Monday.

Kasan told the authorities the exact amount of money in the bag to prove her ownership. She said she earned the money as domestic help for three years in Abu Dhabi.

Kasan said she put her bag on top of the pushcart but became too excited upon seeing her relatives. Porters loaded her luggage in a taxi.

When they were about five minutes away from the airport, Kasan asked the driver where she can have her money changed into pesos. It was then she realized that her bag was missing and asked the driver to return to the airport.

At the arrival area, Kasan was taken to the office of Chua, where she recognized her bag. The airport authorities were about to record the incident and have yet to count the cash inside the bag at the time.

Leopoldo Pagulayan, head porter, Chua and Maligalig witnessed the turnover of the brown shoulder bag to Kasan after counting the cash, which was exactly as Kasan said.

“Sana marami pang katulad mo,” Kasan told Augis.

Dante Basanta, Naia 1 manager, commended Augis, and prepared a report of his honesty to airport general manager Jose Honrado.

Pagulayan promised to retain Augis as porter for a long as he wants, even if a change of porters is regularly implemented at the Naia.