Abandoned baby waits for Christmas joy

A newborn baby was rescued from death at the bushy part of the road in Sitio Cantimog, Barangay Libhu, a mountainous place of Maasin City, last December 18, 2022 at around three o’clock in the morning.
According to the residents, some of them who were on their way to simbang gabi, a Philippine Christmas tradition, one concerned citizen and a family were waken up by a baby’s cry, the baby boy was still covered with blood when they saw him on the grassy road side, without clothes.
The said residents took care of the baby and called the Bureau of Fire Protection(BFP) Maasin City. Newborn-care was immediately undertaken and appropriate clothes were given. The BFP officer who responded said that the incident must have happened only a few minutes ago because the umbilical cord was still attached.
According to the BFP report, some residents noticed that earlier a motor vehicle stopped in that area, and was believed to be the one who left the newborn baby. It was dark so they did not see the person’s face .
The baby was then taken to the Salvacion Oppus Yñiguez Memorial Provincial Hospital for immediate care and later on received vaccinations.
The newly found baby is now under the care of the City Social Welfare Development Office.
Maasin City Mayor Nacional Mercado expressed his thanks to social media “Sincere thanks to everyone who helped and shared the grace with the baby boy who was left by his mother in Brgy. Libhu. We don’t know what the mother’s reason was for abandoning the child, but we thank the Almighty that the baby boy is safe and healthy… At the moment, we still have custody of the baby while the papers are being processed so that he can be legally adopted.”
Some good Samaritans gave diapers and milk formula for the baby.
The police investigation continues on who should be responsible for leaving him behind. One of the things that the authorities are doing is going around the area, know who are reported to be pregnant, and coordinate with the hospitals in the province who have recently given birth, or who have had abortion. (DOrit & RCabodbod)