FLORDELIZ and Antonio Salazar of Barangay Tubod-Dugoan, Dumanjug town sold their inherited house, their lots and their two motorcycles just to give their five children – their 14-year-old son, 12-year-old daughter and the triplets – a good life.
“Bisan nahurot ang among kabtangan, di nako i-bale, nalipay gihapon ko (Despite losing our properties, I don’t mind. I’m still happy),” said Flordeliz..
Flordeliz, 33, gave birth to three girls through caesarian section on April 17, 2014 when she was eight months pregnant.
When she regained consciousness, she was in tears and the nurses asked her why.
“Nagsagol akong gibati. Nalipay ug nabalaka kay unsa’y among ipatutoy (I had mixed feelings. I was happy yet worried because we didn’t know what to feed them),” she told Sun.Star Cebu.
Flordeliz had stayed in the ward for nine days and the babies, Idell Bless, Ira Bless and Izzy Bless stayed in the nursery for 24 more days.
The babies had to stay longer until they reach their ninth month, said Flordeliz in Bisaya.
She then stayed in the waiting room, summoned every three hours to breastfeed the babies.
Flordeliz used to work in the barangay health center for four years, while studying education in her third year at the Sibonga Community College.
But she had to quit school and her work when she conceived the triplets, as she always had to catch her breath and had a hard time standing without aid.
No Regrets
But as she watched the three take their first steps and listened to their first words, Flordeliz did not feel any regret.
“Malingaw ko nila magtan-aw, magduwa; mag-pinaakay kung mag-away (I get amused watching them play, sometimes they bite each other when they disagree on something),” she said.
Idell Bless is the first to learn how to talk without stuttering. But she easily gets slighted.
Ira is naughty but she is patient.
Izzy is not sociable and does not want anyone to get ahead of her.
“She won’t stop until she gets even,” the mother said in Bisaya.
And when one baby catches a fever, the others follow after an hour, she said.
In November 2015, Ira Bless had diarrhea. They brought her to the Barili District Hospital. The other two followed and all three were confined for four days.
When Flordeliz gave birth, Antonio sold their two motorcycles, which he drives to ferry passengers for their living.
He stopped driving and was forced to sell the lot he inherited from his parents. They then sold their 100-square meter lot and house.
And when nothing was left, Flordeliz sought the help of Tubod-Dugoan Barangay Captain Cipriano Torquedo, who issued her a certificate of indigency.
With the certificate, she went to the town hall for a social case summary and got a signed endorsement from Rep. Wilfredo Caminero (Cebu Province, 2nd district).
She took the endorsement to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) 7 office in Mabolo, Cebu City and get into a long queue of beneficiaries.
After the tedious process, which she underwent four times, she was able to collect a total of P14,000 in assistance.
On top of that, congressional candidate Pablo John Garcia hired her husband Antonio to do errands in the different towns of Cebu’s seventh district.
Last Friday Garcia’s wife Karen, Garcia’s sister Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia (Cebu Province, 3rd district) and brother Dumanjug Mayor Nelson Garcia met the triplets and Flordeliz.
Flordeliz said that Karen gave her cash, she did not disclose how much, for the babies’ needs and promised to bring baby vitamins and milk in their next meeting.
Flordeliz said she is grateful for the blessing she received from God and from Garcia for her husband’s job.