By MARIE TONETTE MARTICIO
CAIBIRAN, Biliran – Amidst the strong winds and heavy rains brought by typhoon “Ursula” which landed for the second time in Biliran province on Christmas Eve, five mothers gave birth to healthy babies with the help of good Samaritans here.
One of the mothers, Jennyrose Aragon, 22, started feeling labor pains in her house at Villa Vicenta, an upstream village, at around 12 midnight while the typhoon was battering their town.
She and her husband decided to go to the nearest lying-in clinic located in the town proper but were not able to reach there because of fallen debris and toppled down electric posts obstructing the road.
They then stopped in a waiting shed while the rescuers led by their town mayor were clearing the roads.
“I was dripping wet and was about to give birth in the waiting shed as heavy rains were pounding on us. I was afraid, but I just thought of delivering the baby safely,” the young mother narrated.
Mayor Rhodessa Delante Revita said the village was not really far from the town proper, but it took a while to reach Jennyrose because of the debris blocking the roads.
“We just knocked on a nearby house so she could deliver her baby there with the help of our nurse from the Rural Health Unit,” the mayor shared.
Placida Almen, the owner of the house, said that they initially refused to let Jennyrose deliver her baby there as they were also dealing with a leaking roof and didn’t know how to assist her.
“There was a heavy downpour but we had no choice because her water just broke and the baby was really about to come out,” Almen recalled.
Finally, Merry Chris Ursula was born at around 1:15 a.m., Christmas Day. She is the third child of her parents who recently lost their second child due to heart illness.
“They said that it’s bad luck to name her after a typhoon that brought destruction in our place, but she is special, she is our gift,” Jennyrose said.
About 4,000 families lost their homes in said town. Many of them were left with nothing, yet Mayor Revita still considers themselves as blessed because it was not only Merry Chris Ursula who was born at that time.
Four more pregnant women gave birth during the rescue operations in different villages.
The local police and the Bureau of Fire Protection — assisted by Police Maj. Dinvir Revita (the mayor’s husband), and Police Maj. Jorge Meneses III, both members of the PNP Regional Finance Service Office 8 — were conducting clearing operations along the main roads of Caibiran right after the typhoon made a landfall in Cabucgayan, Biliran, when they received a call from Joy Blanquer of Barangay Manlabang who needed to be rushed to the Rural Health Unit (RHU).
Joy gave birth to a healthy baby boy named Christian Hilux at around 12:10 a.m. while inside the Toyota Hi-Lux of Police Maj. Revita.
Another pregnant woman named Marilou Regir was also rescued from Villa Vicenta. She gave birth to a baby boy at around 3:15 a.m.
As the team headed back to clear the southern part of the town, they encountered another stranded vehicle at Sitio Andrade, Barangay Asug, coming from Cabucgayan, Biliran.
Onboard was Mary Grace Bacalando, who was also due at that time. She gave birth to a baby girl at around 8:20 a.m.
A certain Catherine Mae Esmeralda from Barangay Bariis, Caibiran, was also brought to the RHU and gave birth at around 5:56 a.m. to a baby boy named Clyde Andrei.
The christening of the five babies is scheduled on January 15, 2020, which coincides with the celebration of Caibiran’s Pueblo Day, with the members of the rescue team as their godparents.
