BACOLOD CITY - A Bacolod City worker received praise for returning an abandoned bag to its owner.

Raffy Cordero, a 32-year-old worker, found a black bag left along a gutter outside of the city government center Monday afternoon.

He was about to take his late lunch when he and his fellow employees from the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office saw the bag.

"Others did think of a bomb inside that bag but in my mind I know somebody needed his own things left in that bag so I picked it up, hoping to find it's owner," Cordero said in Hilagaynon.

He turned over the bag to security personnel.

Found inside the bag were cash, a number of ATM cards, a cellphone and a tablet.

Authorities said the bag belongs to a foreigner who was in the city for the Masskara Festival. They are still looking for the bag's owner.

"I feel good and it makes me happy to return things to its rightful owner, knowing that he needed it badly," Cordero said.

His act of honesty was recognized as city officials lauded him. The city is also planning to reward him by making him a role model to other employees.