First ‘Mayon’ baby delivered

LEGAZPI CITY — Because she was born at the foot of fiery Mt. Mayon, the baby was named Mayona Jasmine, the fifth child of Amelia Daniel, one of many mothers who have given birth at a resettlement site where the cries of the newborn mix with the rumblings of the volcano in the distance.

Mayona Jasmine Daniel is the first baby girl born at the San Andres Resettlement Area where some 1,128 evacuees from Barangay Fidel Surtida in Sto. Domingo are staying.

"I want to call her Mayona so we will always remember the memories during our stay inside the resettlement site because of the volcano," said Amelia Daniel, 40, in the dialect.

Mrs. Daniel is staying at the Obstetric and Gynecologic (OB) ward at the Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital (BRTTH) in Daraga, Albay where some 60 other mothers had just given birth.

Amelia said Mayona is her fifth child. The eldest is Aiza, 16; JR, 12, Judy Ann, 11, and nine-year old Jude.

Actually the Daniels had seven children but two died due to childhood ailments.

"I starting feeling the pain at about 12 midnight Thursday," said Amelia, adding that she immediately called for Deling Balasta, the barangay hilot (folk midwife).

But the barangay midwife said she could not deliver the baby through natural birth, prompting the health personnel at the resettlement site to call Dr. Rosa Rempillo, the municipal health officer of Sto. Domingo, for an ambulance.

She was immediately rushed to the Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital in Daraga, Albay.

Dr. Marilyn Laxa delivered Mayona by caesarean section at about 2:30 p.m. Friday.

"Sometimes I just want to leave my family out of shame because I cannot provide what they need," Edgar Daniel, 40, told The STAR during an interview at the OB ward.

Edgar, like thousands of barangay residents in Fidel Surtida, has no permanent job.

"Napapaaral naming yung mga anak naming dahil na lang sa pakiusap at utang (We send our children to school through loans and goodwill)," he said.

"Aiza, who is first year high school, has to walk the one kilometer road every day just to go to San Rafael High School."

The couple started to live together in 1985.

Asked about his wish for their new baby, Edgar said all he wants is someone to help them provide a living for the newborn and not die of poverty: "Sana may makatulong sa amin para siya mabuhay at sana di mamatay dahil sa hirap (I hope someone will help us so that she will live and not die from poverty)."

Amelia said that there are about 15 pregnant women in the resettlement site.