This British man is looking for long-lost Filipino friend to give millions worth of inheritance
More than the possibility of having millions of inheritance, there is something special in this story — the unwavering friendship. In an episode of Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho, a British man is looking for his long-lost Filipino friend so he could give him the millions worth of inheritance.
Verne Mclean from Birmingham, England, has been diagnosed with prostate cancer. With his assets worth about 500,000 pounds or about P33 million, he wished to share 5-10% of it with his Filipino friend.
As soon as he finds him, Verne said that he’d immediately hand over PHP300,000.
“I’m quite well-off, but not a multi-millionaire but I’m all right. I’m comfortable,” he said.
Mclean met the Filipino chef named Mar in Libya back in 179 where we worked as a crane operator. According to him, Mar is working at his favorite restaurant and always gave him extra servings of vegetables because the chef knew he was vegetarian.
He, then, described Mar as a guy who has a fun personality.
“His personality shone. He was a wise boy.
“Absolutely brilliant. Always smiling, always joking. When you went in the house he was a certain life and soul to the party.”
The two became friends. Mar had been helping Mclean whenever he had problems.
“I could understand him perfectly. We got good friends. I used to go ’round to their house. Maybe once every 6, 7 weeks,” Verne said.
Both Mar and Mclean came from poor families but that didn’t stop them to reach their goals.
However, they eventually went their separate ways when Verne was assigned to another country and Mar went back home to the Philippines. Despite the distance, Mar would still write him letters. The last time Mclean got a letter from Mar was in 1984.
“Mar wrote. I can’t write. He sent letters and he invited me over to Manila. I never responded. I’ve never written in my life. I mean, I couldn’t do anything. So I’ve got the letters. I’ve kept them to this day,” Verne said.
When Verne went to the United Kingdom, he was able to save up, start a business and buy several houses. After he retired, he planned to visit the Philippines, but it never happened.
In 2018, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Verne eventually decided to give his inheritance to someone who deserves it.
“We talked more about it last year of contacting Mar ’cause I thought, maybe, he’s still there in Manila.’ He’s always resonated in my thoughts. I want to know how he is. He may have gone. He might be a multi-millionaire, but we don’t know, do we? But I really would like to track him and find out. If I can catch him face-to-face and we can keep in touch. It would really be a blessing.”
With the help of his other Filipino friend, Guia, Mclean is keen on finding Mar through KMJS. Their efforts led them to a man with the same name, who is based in the United States, and said that he used to work in Libya.
In the end, he says that he is not the one that Verne was looking for, and had asked for privacy.
Despite everything, Verne is still hoping to be able to reconnect with his old friend Mar.
We hope you Verne will find his friend Mar!
