Actress-vlogger Ivana Alawi and her sister Mona Alawi expressed their disappointment after several people failed their latest social experiment, featured in Ivana’s newest YouTube vlog.
The prank, designed as a test of honesty, involved an accomplice pretending to drop money in the street. Anyone who returned the cash would receive 50 times the amount as a reward.
However, during the first attempt, two men kept the ₱1,000 bill without returning it to the accomplice.
“This is my first time joining, and it’s really sad because […] I didn’t see the intention na gusto niyang ibalik [‘yung pera] kasi malapit-lapit pa si ate sa kanya at hinintay niyang makalayo-layo bago niya damputin,” Mona shared.
Ivana added, “Hindi kasi natin alam ‘yung pinagdaraanan ng bawat tao. Baka may matinding pangangailangan. That’s life. That’s reality.”
After several failed tries, the sisters decided to lower the amount being “dropped” to ₱500. Ivana explained that they no longer attempt to retrieve the money from those who keep it, saying they simply let it go as a form of indirect help.
Eventually, their persistence paid off when a few honest strangers returned the money. Those who did were rewarded with ₱25,000 each.
“Sobrang na-touch ako and anticipating na ibalik nila dahil iba pa rin ‘yung mabibigyan mo sila, matutulungan mo sila. ‘Yun talaga ang gusto ko,” Mona said, while Ivana admitted, “Kasi never akong nagkaroon ng maraming failed [attempts]. Usually puro success siya pero that’s life.”
Just days earlier, Ivana joined an outreach program at Manila Boys & Girls Town in Marikina, where she entertained children with her lively presence, dancing and sharing her blessings. The event drew praise from attendees who called her “truly blessed” for her generosity.
Ivana is also set to make her television comeback in a new teleserye alongside Joshua Garcia. This Christmas, she will star in Regal Films’ Shake Rattle & Roll, an official entry to the 2025 Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF).
