21/06/2026
❤️
One comment on my last notary-related post really stayed with me.
Sabi ni Atty. na nag comment: “₱150 is no joke in today’s economy. You helped a student, and at the same time, you may have inspired that student to do the same for others someday. May balik yan sayo.”
Napaisip ako.
It’s true. Countless times, I’ve notarized documents for free or charged way below the usual rate. Talagang may kasama ng tulong and giving back.
But if mga kwentong feeling pagod at nalugi lang ang ikukuwento ko sa inyo, incomplete ang story.
The truth is, the “sacrifices” I make as a notary are nothing compared to the BLESSINGS I’ve received because I became one.
First, I learn a lot.
My government job is very specialized, so there are areas of law that I don’t encounter regularly. But because people come to me not just for notarization but also with legal questions, I’m forced to read, research, and refresh my knowledge. If I don’t know the answer immediately, I tell them, “Balikan kita. I’ll research it first.” In the end, I learn and was able to help them.
Second, I get to meet people I would have never met otherwise.
One day, a doctor came to our house to have some BIR forms notarized. Taga-kabilang street lang pala siya, but it was our first time meeting. Nadaanan lang daw niya ang bahay at nakita ang “Notary Public” sign.
After I notarized the forms, he asked how much.
“₱200 lang po,” I said.
He handed me ₱600 because there were three copies.
I smiled and said, “Per document lang po ang charge ko, not per copy so ₱200 lang.”
Nagkwentuhan kami for a bit.
Then I found out that his specialization was exactly the condition my mom was suffering from at that time.
Back then, we were exploring different hospitals because the operation would cost around a million pesos, and we wanted to make the best decision possible.
Long story short, he became my mom’s doctor.
His advice and guidance helped us make informed decisions that literally saved us hundreds of thousands of pesos.
He remained my mom’s doctor through her operation and even her therapy.
Today, my mom is fit and well.
And I often think…
If I had never put up that “Notary Public” sign, I probably would have never met him.
So when I joked that I “don’t make money” from being a notary, that wasn’t entirely true. Binabawi ko na that statement. 🥹
Because I realized that sometimes, the returns don’t come in cash.
Sometimes they come in knowledge.
Sometimes they come in friendships.
Sometimes they come in unexpected opportunities.
And often, they come back as blessings worth far more than the ₱150 I chose to waive for someone who needed it.
What comes around goes around. ❤️
Happy Sunday, everyone!
