Netizens are expressing gratitude to a 33-year-old preschool teacher after she bought roasted chicken for a delivery guy yesterday.
Cha Calubaquib wrote on her Facebook account that she has been hesitant to have food delivered to her home because she felt sorry for frontliners who needed to work during the Luzon lockdown.
“So, I thought that if I’m going to have [food] delivered, I should also buy the same thing for the person who will deliver my order,” she wrote.
Calubaquib thought of ordering from Baliwag, a store known for its roasted chicken. Delivery man Andrew Cucal accepted her booking, which initially didn’t have any takers.
“So, the moment that I booked him as the rider, I ordered 4 [roasted chickens] (one for me, one for him, and two for the frontliners working in my building),” she said.
When Cucal arrived with the food, Calubaquib told him he could have one of what she ordered. Cucal expressed his gratitude and went on his way. A few minutes later, he sent a text message to the teacher to say thanks once again, and it was quickly followed by a Facebook message where he sent a photo showing him and his children eating Baliwag chicken.
“I cried?” wrote Calubaquib. “Lord, thank you. Thank you for making me Your instrument today to help somebody in need.”
Many netizens were touched by what the teacher has done for Cucal, and Calubaquib’s post has been shared almost 77,000 times since it appeared.
In an interview with Coconuts Manila, the teacher said she decided to order Baliwag yesterday after experiencing some serious cravings.
“Since I live alone, I cook only when I want to cook and for the past few weeks, I’ve been maximizing my supplies here. But you know that feeling of missing food from some of your go-tos? Today, I felt that. And I thought of buying food that can last for a day or two Hence, Baliwag,” Calubaquib said on Facebook Messenger.
“I got 2 batches of Baliwag’s chicken for our frontliners here in the building. This isn’t my first time to do this. The first time I did, I also bought food for the delivery guy. Times like this, we need each other to help each other,” she said, and added that seeing the photo of the delivery guy eating with his kids made her emotional.
“I honestly cried. I was bawling,” Calubaquib said.
In a separate interview with Coconuts, Cucal confessed that he was hesitant to work during the lockdown because he was worried that he might get infected with the coronavirus. However, he said he had to work for his children.
“I’m afraid because I cannot see the virus, so I’m extra careful,” he said. “When the virus started spreading I didn’t want to go out, but what about my children?”
He said Calubaquib’s gift was a nice surprise.
“I didn’t expect someone would give me food [on that day]. I was glad to see my children so happy when I brought the chicken home. We ate it all together,” he added.
Stay safe, Andrew!
Have you heard of other heartwarming stories that happened during the Luzon lockdown? Tell us by leaving a comment below or tweeting to @CoconutsManila.
