Wednesday, April 18, 2007 Consolacion bet hopes triplets will bring luck
A POPULAR belief says giving birth to twins brings luck to the family.
Casili Barangay Captain Analee Gungob knows this and hopes that her new born triplets will help her land a seat at the Consolacion Municipal Council this coming elections.
“Usually the Chinese believe in it, especially kung lalake. Hopefully it will give us (luck),” Gungob told reporters at the Chong Hua Hospital yesterday. Gungob is the daughter of Consolacion Mayor Avelino Gungob.
Gungob, 30, gave birth to the triplets through caesarian section last April 10 at 7:43 a.m. The boys came within an interval of one minute.
Gungob picked out the names of her sons from the bible - Jacob Abel, Joshua Abel and Joseph Abel.
Daily visits
While Gungob came out of the hospital last Saturday yet, her sons had to stay for monitoring.
They were too small at 1,001 to 1,450 grams. They were also on dextrose and oxygen until recently when the medical gadgets were removed from the two older sons. Joseph Abel, the youngest and the smallest, is still on dextrose and oxygen. Gungob visits them every day for two to three hours.
“I come here to see them for bonding, and to talk to them,” said Gungob.
The babies will stay in the hospital until after the May 14 elections.
Gungob said the babies are safer at the hospital especially at the height of the campaign season with the election just a month away. They will also be properly taken care of.
If she wins, Gungob assures she can manage her time working as mother and a public servant.
“If you enter into public service, no matter how hard it is, you can do it,” she said.
Still joining rallies
Even when she was still pregnant, Gungob could not just take bed rest as the doctor advised. She said she was still joining political rallies until April 4.
On her first day out of the hospital, Gungob already made appearances in campaign sorties.
She is running alongside her father.
Mayor Avelino visited the triplets on the day they were born. The boys are his sixth, seventh and eighth grandchildren.
“Liwat kuno niya kay taas kunog ilong (He said they have his aquiline nose),” Gungob said of her father’s reaction upon seeing the boys.
When asked if Joseph Abel, Joshua Abel and Jacob Abel are Consolacion’s next-generation leaders, Analee smiled and said, “Maybe.”
Analee is the only child of Mayor Avelino who joined politics.
She served as barangay councilor since 1997 to 2002, after which she was elected barangay captain. (JGA)
