In the age of fleeting headlines and coral content, some stories stand the test of time â not because they were loud, but because they were true. One such story is that of Reggie Cabutotan, a then Baguio taxi driver whose simple act of honesty in 2017 sparked a life-changing chain of events. Eight years later, his story continues to resonate â perhaps now more than ever.
It began with a forgotten bag in the backseat of Reggieâs taxi. Inside was a laptop, a passport, P1 million worth of cash, and other valuables. For many, it might have been a moral dilemma. For Reggie, it was simple. He tracked down the owner named âTrent Shieldâ who is an Australian businessman and returned the bag â every single item intact â asking for nothing in return.
Touched by his honesty, Trentâs friend â Ace Estrada II, the president of BPO training company Vivixx Academy awarded Reggie a P220,000 scholarship to attend a six-month Coding Boot Camp in 2017.
Why Reggieâs Story Still Matters Today
In 2025, we live in a time when AI is reshaping industries, digital trust is under scrutiny, and ethics in both tech and real life is more relevant than ever. Reggieâs story â anchored in integrity â feels especially timely. His experience as a taxi driver to a blessed scholar was not fueled by privilege or connections, but by character.
His story also challenges the persistent narrative that honesty doesn’t pay off. Well, in a world jaded by corruption scandals, online scams, and clickbait morality, Reggieâs story reminds us of the quiet power of doing the right thing when nobody’s watching.
Since Reggieâs story broke in 2017, tourists and netizens still recount tales of drivers or other common folks returning lost items, often going out of their way to do so. The impact of Reggieâs story is not just personal â itâs cultural.
That kind of honesty feels revolutionary as Reggieâs actions proves that doing good still matters, and sometimes, it is the quiet, honest choices that spark the biggest transformation â not just in one manâs life, but in the values we choose to uphold as a society.
