PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan — An Austrian national had his belt bag returned to him, containing P10,170 and other important items, including his passport, after he accidentally left it behind on 26 December in a van heading to the town of El Nido from this city.

The individual from Austria, Julius Būrger, journeyed with Island View Travel, and the van was driven by Geomie Sunico, as reported by Jenny Nuhay, its marketing executive.

Nuhay said Sunico picked up the tourist from Puerto Princesa City heading toward El Nido at around 4 p.m. on the said day. They arrived in the town early in the morning of 27 December, and he dropped him off, along with two others, at their hotel.

The next morning, Sunico found the belt bag in the spot where Būrger had been seated. He immediately called the van's owner in Puerto Princesa and reported the found belt bag.

"The driver woke up to line up at the El Nido terminal for the trip back to Puerto Princesa City. Inside the van, he found a bag where the foreign passenger had been sitting," she said Thursday.

"The foreigner was extremely happy and grateful when he found out that the bag would be returned to him," added Nuhay.

Fortunately, the van owner had the contact number of the foreigners. They were quickly called and informed that the bag had been left in the van.

The Austrian went to the driver's house in Purok New Village, Barangay Corong-Corong, El Nido, to retrieve the bag containing his money and passport.