A BABY boy born to a young couple and a baby girl fathered by a 47-year-old miner were proclaimed as this year’s Baguio Charter Day Babies.
The lucky infants were delivered separately minutes apart at past 2 a.m. last September 1 at the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center.
Baby boy Leam Mendizabal came out at 2:18 a.m. weighing three kilograms (kg). He is the first child of Alvin Bustarde, 21, a third year college student and Ma. Christina Mendizabal, 17, Grade 11 of Marcoville village.
Baby girl Gladys Tusoy was delivered at 2:41 a.m. weighing 3.03 kg. She is the fourth child of Jeremias Boligon, 47, a miner employed at the Philex Mines and Jene Rose Bangbanga, 27, of Pacdal, Tuba, Benguet.
In a report prepared by social welfare officer Dolores Busacay, the couple shared that they met at a shop where Jene Rose was working as saleslady of secondhand clothes.
“Jane Rose humorously said that Jeremias did not find clothes that would fit him, but he saw her instead,” Busacay related.
The chosen babies were presented with gifts and prizes last September 2 by former councilor Narciso Padilla and wife Consuelo Sol, personnel of the City Social Welfare and Development Office (OCSWADO) under OCSWAD officer Betty Fangasan and officers of the Baguio Elderly Association including Federation of Baguio Senior Citizens Association President Editha Ibarra.
Prizes consisted of cash pasalubong, a cavan of rice from the city government, baby clothes, food and goodies and mabuhay welcome medallion and others from the Office of the Senior Citizens Affairs, the Federation of Baguio Senior Citizens Association, Blessed Association of Retired Persons Foundation Inc., the Philippine Government Retirees Association, United States Army Forces in the Philippines–Northern Luzon and the Philippine Veterans Foundation Baguio District.
Padilla said the search in the tradition of the annual Quest for the Lucky Christmas and New Year Babies was started during the City’s centennial year in 2009 to symbolize the dawning of a new year for the City. (Contributed by Aileen Refuerzo)