Woman gives birth in car amid traffic

CEBU, Philippines — It was not the most ideal of circumstances but it was, for sure, one for the books.

Cops and personnel of the Jagobiao Police Station in Mandaue City were going about their usual rounds last Monday morning when a man arrived at past 11 a.m. and asked for help for his sister was about to give birth.

It turned out that the taxi the siblings were riding had refused to bring them to the Our Lady of the Rule Maternity and General Hospital in Pajo, Lapu-Lapu City for fear the woman would give birth in the cab.

"Ang katong igsoon sa buntis, nihunong sa istasyon then nangayo og tabang regarding sa iyahang igsoon nga manganak," PO1 Elmer Gonzales told The Freeman.

Already in a state of panic, the man told the police they could not go to another facility because it was at the hospital in Lapu-Lapu where they availed of a maternity package.

The station’s personnel quickly moved the pregnant woman to the police patrol car from the taxi and assigned to accompany her one of the station’s non-uniformed personnel, Josie Tejano, who happens to be a nurse.

The odds, however, were not completely in their favor and the police patrol car was no match to the heavy traffic that characterizes Mandaue City.

Tejano said that as the patrol car was crawling through the national highway in Barangay Basak, the woman told her she could no longer bear the pain and asked that she help her deliver the baby right there in the car.

"While ako siya gi-comfort, niana siya nga 'ma’am, feel nako naa na jud ang ulo sa bata, ma’am… hubui nalang ko…' mao to ako siya gihubuan sa iyahang lower nga pants; ako siya gipabuka gamay… naa naman gyud ang ulo sa bata," Tejano said.

They decided to stop the car by the road and it was then that the woman pushed the baby out. They used the driver’s towel to wrap the baby with.

"Adto namo gihapin ang bata, gisawd namo siya…sus, gi guide-an  mi’s Ginoo; ang bata igo ra gyud nakaabot sa hospital, igo ra nakagawas sa mobile," she said.

They identified the woman later as Jackilyn Branzuela, 32. She and her brother, Lawrence Oliver, came from Barangay Labogon, a neighboring barangay of Jagobiao in Mandaue where they sought for police help.

Gonzales said it was the first time that they encountered and dealt with that kind of situation, and they are glad they were able to help the Branzuela siblings.

"Sukad sukad, first time gyud to nako…pasalamat sad mi’s among hepe nga iyaha mi gigiyahan," he said.

Jackilyn is recuperating at the hospital in Lapu-Lapu City. She and her child, a healthy baby girl, certainly have an interesting story to tell. - JMO (FREEMAN)