A wing van driver who was fired after using a company vehicle to rescue people from floodwaters during Typhoon Tino (International name: Kalmaegi) has received a job offer from the Cebu local government unit.
Reports said that Francis Anthony Narvasa, along with assistant Ric Vincent Arañez, risked their lives to rescue at least six individuals who were swept away by the floodwaters in Barangay Cotcot at Liloan, Cebu, last month.
Narvasa and Arañez reportedly parked their wing van to wait out the storm when the police sought their help on November 4.
The driver said officers had asked them to use the vehicle to block the strong flood current so responders could reach those swept away.
Narvasa and Arañez said they were able to rescue six people, including a police officer who fell into the floodwaters during the search and rescue operation.
However, they were dismissed from their jobs after videos of their rescue efforts went viral, with the company asking them to return the keys and the truck and to refrain from reporting back to work.
Narvasa said they were fired for using the company vehicle to save lives.
On November 22, Cebu Gov. Pamela “Pam” Baricuatro offered Narvasa a new job opportunity as a driver at the Cebu Provincial Capitol.
The Department of Labor and Employment-Region 7 also said it will investigate the owner of the wing van, with the regional director noting that Narvasa was not accorded due process.
Narvasa should have been given the chance to explain his side of the incident prior to the dismissal, DOLE 7 Regional Director Roy Buenafe said.
DOLE said it will also assist Narvasa and his assistants in claiming their benefits.
Meanwhile, reports about the incident reached a Reddit community, where it earned around 1,300 upvotes and 130 comments from Filipinos.
DOLE to honor ‘Kuya Francis’, the man who was sacked from his job for using company van for saving people during Cebu flashflood
byu/Rare_Independent0310 inPhilippines
“E mas ito ‘yung may saysay at may kabuluhan ‘yung ginawa, kesa sa mga taong gumagamit ng company vehicle na ipinangpapasyal,” a Redditor wrote.
“Kung ako sa boss, pinagamit ko lang ‘yung van at ‘di tinanggal si kuya. Madali magpagawa ang sasakyan pero buhay ng tao, hindi,” another commented.
Cebu province was among the hardest hit by “Tino,” which caused widespread flooding, landslides and severe soil erosion.
The typhoon also damaged houses and establishments and infrastructure, while prolonged power outages affected many communities.
“Tino” is currently the deadliest tropical cyclone in the Philippines this year, with nearly 200 reported fatalities.
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