Social experiment: Will people help feed a hungry old mangangalakal?

Leonida Maso is used to going hungry.

The 70-year-old still works as a scavenging scrap in order to sustain herself. Her husband passed away in 1999, and she doesn't want to rely on her family and relatives.

With her job, Nanay Leonida earns about P800 a week. Given this tight budget, she tends to sacrifice meals so she can get by.

Her days are filled with picking up trash she could trade, and organizing them in a secluded corner in Novaliches that she calls her home.

"Bibili nalang ako ng sampung pisong kanin tapos uuwi ako dito. Dito na ko kakain, may kamatis at bagoong yun nalang ang ulam ko," she said in an episode of Good News.

The GMA Public Affairs team conducted a social experiment with Nanay Leonida. How many strangers will answer to the call of a poor, hungry old woman?

The team followed Nanay Leonida to three stores, where she would loudly order rice with no meal. The store owners, who were in on it, would insist she get some meat, sometimes at a discounted price, and Leonida would refuse on the grounds that doesn't have enough money. She would simply ask for some soup to go with the rice.

In the three stores, there were seven strangers who took notice of Nanay Leonida. Not all of them made the decision to help — but the better half of them did.

"Ang premise natin dito, may mga tao na kaya hindi ay sapagkat, minsan kung karinderya to, maiintindihan natin. Minsan enough lang din ang pera nila, wala silang pantulong," said psychologist Raul Gana.

Out of the seven strangers who witnessed Leonida's plight, four of them were moved to help. The first group who did help gave Nanay Leonida their food, while the rest of them ordered a dish for her, offering to pay.

One of them even accompanied her as she ate.

"Minsan ina-attribute nila, what if nanay ko ito? What if kung ano ito? Kaya kung napunta sila sa ganoong situation, gusto nila, yung karma sabihin na natin, na tutulungan sila ng ibang tao, kasi tumulong ako," Gana said.

After their good deeds, the people who came to Nanay Leonida's aid were told of the experiment. Their bills returned with a note: "Paid by your kindness."

Nanay Leonida was touched by the people who fed her. She thanked them, saying that there were still good people after all.

"Natutuwa [ako]. Hindi lahat ng tao ay maramot pala. Meron din palang magaganda ang loob," she said. "Nagpapasalamat ako dito sa mga tulong na natanggap ko dahil sa inyo. Maraming maraming salamat." —Jessica Bartolome/JST, GMA News