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Filipino Taxi Driver Gives Free Rides To Stranded Commuters After Uber’s Suspension

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    For many Filipinos who have depended on Uber for their daily commute, the recent suspension of the popular ride-sharing app has been a cause of massive inconvenience.   

    Social media posts of being stranded in the middle of commute and being late for appointments started appearing on local Facebook news feeds since Uber was suspended on Monday.

    Yet, amid the negative posts and occasional rants, one inspiring story of a good Samaritan driver who decided to help those who are affected by the Uber suspension has recently gone viral on local social media.

    When radio DJ Ganns Deen spotted two strangers on the road on Metro Manila on Wednesday morning, he did not think twice about offering them a ride, all in the Filipino spirit of “bayanihan” (communal unity).

    To inspire others to do the same in times of crises, he posted his story on Facebook.

    In an interview with Coconuts Manila, Deen explained that he extended his helping hand upon learning that they were going to the same direction.

    “It was on the way to BGC, and I was glad I wouldn’t have to drive out of the way to get them to their destination. I like to believe that was God’s hand, putting me in the path of people who needed help,” Deen was quoted as saying.

    As of this writing, his noble gesture has been shared over 200 times received almost 2,000 reactions. Netizens have also filled the comments section with praises for his actions, with some calling him the “taxi angel”.

    But he did not stop there, as he also helped out another stranded person through the carpooling app Wunder.

    He explained that helping out others without expecting anything in return is a way of paying a good deed forward.

    “This is why I’m using the #Bayanihan hashtag. Filipinos helping Filipinos with no concept of reward, just the understanding that we will somehow, in our own way, pay it forward,” Deen said.

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