By Diann Calucin
At a gas station along a busy Manila road, delivery rider Benj Paz pauses not for his next booking, but to pour dog food onto a piece of cardboard for stray animals waiting nearby.
For him, these brief stops are more than routine — they are acts of remembrance.
Paz explained that every stray he feeds reminds him of Echo, a dog he once had.
“Naalala ko yung aso ko sa kanila,” he said, noting that his small habit of setting aside tips and loose change grew into a daily commitment.
Despite long hours on the road, dealing with heat, smoke, rain, and slow bookings, Paz sets aside part of his earnings to buy food for strays.
“Masaya pag nakakapagpakain ako,” he shared, saying the effort feels lighter when he sees animals eat.
His motorcycle compartment now holds bottles filled with coins from tips, sometimes reaching ₱50 to ₱100 a day.
When short on funds, he adds from his own pocket just to ensure he has enough for at least a kilo of dog food.
What began as a personal tribute has turned into a small advocacy.
Some customers now send pet food or add it to their orders, allowing him to feed more animals along his routes.
For Paz, feeding strays is both a way to honor Echo and a reminder that pets deserve to be treated as family.
“Sana gabayan mo ako sa bawat biyahe,” he said, addressing his late dog.
His stops may be brief — feed, ride, move on — but for the strays waiting at the same corners, it means surviving another day.
