We found the good samaritan UPLB Student, Kristine Marie Valenzuela

Remember almost three months ago, I wrote that I've been looking for this UPLB Student, Kristine Marie Valenzuela? 

As a quick recap my sister lost her ATM card and did not even realized until we get a call from a stranger named Kristine Valenzuela who used Facebook to reach my sister. We asked them if they can drop by our shop to return the ATM and also so we can meet and thank them personally, but they just dropped it off and went home.

It's been almost three months to no avail, until I decided to not rely so much on social media anymore and look her up directly at the College Secretary's office. If Kristine Valenzuela can exert effort in looking for the owner, then I, too, can reciprocate the same gesture.

But the university was on a semester break and practically all the students were some place else other than the campus. I was advised that they will inform the student once she goes to the office of the college secretary for registration.

One day, I finally got the visitor that my sister and I have been looking for since late week of August this year. We finally met the good samaritan, UPLB student Kristine Marie Valenzuela from Batangas City.

She told me that it was her and her cousin Edward who found the ATM on the floor of the machine and they thought that it might belong to another UPLB student. They feel that they need  to return it immediately because it might contain the student's allowance for the week. Since they're only staying in a dormitory, they asked their landlady if they can use her personal land line just so they can call us through the contact number that they found on Facebook to return the ATM. 

So I invited them to another meet up with her cousin so we can treat them out and thank them personally. I tell you, I had to almost beg several times until she finally agreed to just a simple meet up and not the dinner/coffee that I originally proposed.

Of course we prepared a simple token of appreciation for them:

And we finally met them! Here's my sister, Aprille with cousins Edward and Kristine.

Again, we also almost begged and pressured them into joining us even for at least a dessert for them to take home, but we did not succeed. They did not want any sort of reward, they just really want to return the ATM to its owner. But I insisted on having a photo, so it's a good thing they agreed. We just had a little chat then we let them go.

I still believe in good samaritans and I really hope there would be more students, other than UPLB students, who would do the exact same thing they did or probably even better.

Dear Kristine and Edward, thank you very much and may God bless you and your good hearts. Your parents must be so proud of you.

I'm looking for a UPLB Student Kristine Valenzuela

Last week, after the rain stopped pouring hours before my florist sister headed to Manila to get the pre-ordered flowers for a client, we did not know that while at the ATM machine at Vega Centre, one of the ATM cards fell out.

We were not aware about it until 30 minutes later, my sister got a call from her landline that a UPLB student, Kristine Valenzuela, called to let my sister know that she dropped one of her ATM cards and would like to return it.

Two years ago, I was at a bank in the campus, opening a new account. A male UPLB student, came to the counter and reported that his ATM was lost and asked the cashier/attendant to inform him if someone would return his lost ATM, because apparently all of his allowance is in that card.

The lady told the student that the possibility of someone returning an ATM card is a slim chance. After all, why bother?

Since he insisted that, just in case someone would return it, he would drop by the bank branch again.

The student left, and the lady at the counter gave me a faint -whatever-smile. I mean c'mon, who would bother to go to the bank and return it? Or better yet, who would go looking for the owner to return in?

But deep down, I still believe in Good Samaritans, among the new breed of UP students in elbi.

One of them is this Kristine Valenzuela, who used the power of the internet to reach my sister. Since it was already night time and we cannot go out and meet her to get the card, we asked if she can drop by our boutique to leave the card, and possibly meet her.

And also at the same time, I told my sister to call the banks line and block the card and track the transactions. (Yeah, this girl [me] has trust issues)

The very next day, this Kristine Valenzuela, went to our shop and gave back the ATM card. She left without having to bother to ask and see who the owner is, or whatever. Our salesladies just told us that she just really wants to return the ATM card. That's it.

So the ATM was returned and we never saw her. My sister said her thank you's over the phone but we want to meet her to personally thank her.

So if you happen to know a Kristine Valenzuela taking up Food Technology in UPLB, please let me know by leaving your names in the comment section or head over to my contact page to leave a longer, perhaps private message.

UPDATE!

After three months, we finally found the good Samaritan. Read about Kristine Marie Valenzuela HERE.