Newborn babies shriek as typhoon passes Cebu

DAANBANTAYAN, Cebu—The winds were roaring while Juvelyn Panghubasan was having labor pains.

But Panghubasan hardly thought about Typhoon “Ruby” (international name: Hagupit) that was threatening this northern town of Cebu province on Saturday. Her concern was to give birth to her baby safely.

And there was no stopping the baby.

Panghubasan gave birth to her first child at 6:10 p.m. while strong winds and rains were hammering the district hospital in Daanbantayan town, 130 kilometers north of Cebu City.

Panghubasan and her common-law husband, Eduvigio Luga, promptly named the baby girl Ruby Marie.

“She was born while Typhoon Ruby was about to hit Daanbantayan,” she told the Inquirer. “So we named her Ruby.”

Luga suggested that they give their first child a second name, Marie—after the Blessed Virgin Mary—because his wife was able to give birth safely despite the adverse weather.

Ruby Marie was one of six babies born at Daanbantayan District Hospital while residents of the town were bracing for the strongest typhoon to menace the country this year.

The first to give birth at Daanbantayan District Hospital was Airen Orbeta, who gave birth to a baby girl at 4:30 a.m. on Saturday.

Then Honeybee Arsolon gave birth to a healthy baby boy at 3:20 p.m. A couple of hours later, at 5:47 p.m., Maritess Arranguez gave birth to a girl.

It wasn’t the end of births at the hospital.

Another Ruby

On Sunday, Devine Magale gave birth to a baby boy at 7:30 a.m. Then Bengelen Bolivar gave birth to a baby girl at 1:15 p.m.

Among them, only Panghubasan decided to name the baby after the typhoon. The rest have not made up their minds on what to name their babies.

Panghubasan said Ruby Marie was an appropriate name for her baby because, like the typhoon, Ruby Marie was strong—based at least on her loud shrieks.

“She always cries and is strong like Typhoon Ruby,” she said.

In Cebu City, another baby—also named Ruby by her parents—was born at the city-owned Cebu City Medical Center early Sunday.

Ruby Anne

Juliet Sanchez, 37, a typhoon evacuee from Barangay (village) Ermita, began having labor pains at 11 p.m. on Saturday while she was staying in at classroom at City Central School.

She was immediately taken to the medical center about 500 meters away. At 1:05 a.m. on Sunday, she gave birth to a girl—and she quickly named her Ruby Anne.

Sanchez’s common-law partner, Wilfredo Minorca, 39, a barangay tanod, was helping other evacuees staying in the school when he was told that Sanchez was having labor pains.

He dropped his work and carried Sanchez to a standby ambulance that sped her to the medical center.

Minorca said his wife was supposed to give birth two days ago but it was only at 11 p.m. on Saturday that she had labor pains.

Like Panghubasan and Luga, they decided to name their fourth child after the howler.