TABUK CITY, Kalinga - A woman in Saudi Bulo, Bulo, this city had the surprise of her life when she came upon a baby girl on her yard early morning of June 30, 2010.
The baby which was wrapped in a blanket was lying in a basin. Also in the basin was a can of Bona milk, a purple colored feeding bottle, EQ diapers, a form which showed that the baby was vaccinated with Hepa-B vaccine on June 17 and a letter addressed to Mary (not her real name), the daughter of the woman.
The letter which was in Pilipino said she is leaving the child with her (Mary's) mother because she does not know her (Mary's) house. The letter-writer who signed as Your old friend explained that she got pregnant accidentally but decided to have the baby with the intention of giving the baby to Mary because she knows the latter has been married for sometime but remains childless.
The letter continued that Mary should not worry because she will never reclaim her daughter or even just come back to show herself to the child someday.
Because of the content of the letter, the woman brought the child to Mary who resides in Bulanao Norte, also this city, that same day.
The story of the founding spread like wildfire in Bulo and reached an agit-itik (one who herds mallard ducks) who is a native of Isabela. Right away, the agit-itik informed people back home about the find.
It so happens that nine days earlier, a relative of the agit-itik named Proceso and Nora de Guzman lost their newly born baby girl at the Rosario National Hospital in Santiago City, Isabela.
The baby girl was allegedly spirited away by an unknown person on June 21 or six days after it was born in the same hospital.
Thinking that the founding in Bulo was their missing baby, Proceso reported the matter to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) which promptly sent a team to this city to retrieve the baby and restore her to her parents.
According to Social Welfare Officer Eusebia Edduba of the Tabuk City Social Welfare and Development Office, Mary refused to give the baby to the CIDG but agreed to take the baby to the Philippine National Police (PNP) station in Bulanao for proper recording in the blotter.
Edduba said that since Proceso could not show proof that the baby belongs to him, it was agreed among the police, the CIDG team and social workers present that the baby be brought to Reception Study Center for Children (RSCC) in Solana, Cagayan pending disposition. The RSCC is a facility for children run by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
The baby is still at the RSCC as of this writing.
In an interview on July 15, Mary told the ZZW the baby could not possibly be that of the de Guzmans because their baby is dark and has thick curly hair while the foundling has light skin, brown hair and bluish eyes.
She added that according to the de Guzmans themselves their baby has underwent complete BCG vaccination but on the other hand, the foundling does not have needle marks for BCG vaccination.
The relatives of the de Guzmans who took care of the baby at the hospital also said that their baby had a big mole on her back but there is no such mark on the back of the foundling.
The mother admitted that their baby has long fingers. Miracle (the name she has given to the baby) does not have long fingers. They also said that their baby was not confined but mine must have been confined because she has dextrose needle marks, Mary said.
She claimed she has no idea as to the identity of Your old friend.
In a phone interview, RSCC center head Maris Jamor confirmed that although it is too early to say if indeed she is a Caucasian the eyes which are bluish do look like they belong to a Caucasian.
She added that they cannot still take cognizance of the desire of Mary to adopt the baby because of the pending claim of the de Guzmans.
We are still waiting for them to submit proof that the baby belongs to them. In the meantime, we have petitioned the court for protective custody of the child pending the determination of her parentage, Jamor said. **By Estanislao Albano, Jr., ZZW
