Save the Children, Metrobank turn over maternity waiting home in Sarangani

Save the
Children, Metrobank Foundation turn over maternity waiting home to Sarangani
town

Cristina, 25,
lives with her husband and three children in the remote village of Sofan in Alabel,
Sarangani province.

She recalled
the difficulty of giving birth seven years ago when there was no maternity
clinic or hospital. She said it was a dark and rainy night, she and her husband
were on board a truck going to a hospital in General Santos City.

Cristina gave
birth to her first-born child inside a truck while on the way to a hospital in
General Santos City. She delivered her baby on her own while she was on a
makeshift hammock set up in the back of the truck with only her mother and a
few neighbors who carried her. The situation only got worse when the baby came
out as there was no medic to attend to both Cristina and her baby.

While we were
travelling, I felt extreme pain in my tummy so I pushed until the baby came
out. I was really worried because there was nobody to provide us with medical
help and we were far from the hospital. My placenta has not come out yet and it
felt like I would pass out I also did not know the condition of my baby,
Cristina recalled.

When I heard
my mother cry, I feared for our safety and I thought either my baby or I would
die. I lied to her by saying I was feeling okay but the truth is my vision then
was fading out. When we got to the hospital, the nurse told me I was lucky
because no blood came out of me, otherwise, I would have died.

The poor and
difficult terrain in her village and the distance to the nearest hospital make
it difficult for pregnant women in Sitio Sofan, particularly those who live in
far-flung communities, to access quality health services.

Instead of
going to the barangay health center for a check-up a few days before giving
birth, pregnant mothers tend to wait for the labor pains and contractions to
begin before they travel to the birthing facility because they do not have a
place to stay and rest near the facility. Unfortunately oftentimes, just like
in Cristina’s case, when they finally decide to go to the health center, it
would be too late.

In order to
help mothers gain better access to barangay health services and birthing facilities,
Save the Children, in partnership with the local government unit of Alabel,
implemented the Accelerate Convergence towards Sustained Services on Quality
Maternal, Newborn and Child Health and Nutrition (ACCESS-MNCHN) project, funded
by the GT Foundation.

Save Through this
project, a maternity waiting home was built in Sitio Sofan and another in
Arakan, North Cotabato. sand//scontent.fcgy1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-0/p280x280/52605386_487221001807695_5483979599773696000_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104:amp_nc_ht=scontent.fcgy1-1.fnaandampoh=4c759f236617870d22ebd57b3923d78eandampoe=5D204AC8 Save the Children and GT Foundation symbolically hands over the Sofan maternity waiting home to local officials of Alabel municipality. From leftand Alabel health officer Dr. Honorato Fabio, Alabel Mayor Vic Paul M. Salarda, Save the Children senior manager Fanny Divino, GT Foundation representative Rey Sabino, and Alabel Vice Mayor Ronnel S. Espanol. sand//scontent.fcgy1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-0/p280x280/52364146_1820745528030117_4793557950469767168_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104:amp_nc_ht=scontent.fcgy1-1.fnaandampoh=28ab1de5a91d4b1d1064c151759eb7f2andampoe=5D26BFD5 Sofan maternity waiting home in Barangay Pag-asa, Alabel, Sarangani Province sand//scontent.fcgy1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-0/p280x280/52093983_329775507652927_3386029886907875328_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102:amp_nc_ht=scontent.fcgy1-1.fnaandampoh=a529675e240408a74b8fefd899bb8b84andampoe=5D2451AD Local government officials and project donors sign a project completion report for the Sofan maternity waiting home during its turn-over ceremony. From leftand Pag-asa Punong Barangay Rose Mae Salway Orlino, Councilor Irish Louie Arnado, Alabel Mayor Vic Paul M. Salarda, Save the Children senior manager Fanny Divino, Metrobank Foundation representative Rey Sabino, FPOP program manager Christopher Penales, and RD Foundation representative Rhea S. Muyco. sand//scontent.fcgy1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.15752-0/p280x280/52300334_329145394375441_201500533880520704_n.jpg?_nc_cat=106:amp_nc_ht=scontent.fcgy1-1.fnaandampoh=eac8f51d3e8b98fee45169e107d1211candampoe=5CDF007F Alabel Mayor Vic Paul M. Salarda (middle left) and GT Foundation representative (middle right) lead the ribbon cutting during the turn-over ceremony of the Sofan maternity waiting home while local municipal and health officials and members of civil society organizations look on.