CEBU CITY, Philippines — While the thundering sound of fireworks reverberated in the skies, the delivery room of the Cebu Puericulture Center and Maternity House rejoiced for the birth of a healthy baby boy shortly after New Year’s Eve.
Crisander Frey Gurrea was born at 1:42 a.m. to Judy Anne Mata and Cris Gurrea, both 28-years-old.
Mata arrived at the birthing home shortly after midnight and labored for more than an hour before she gave birth to Baby Crisander who weighed 3.15 kilograms.
Gurrea, a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) employee, said he felt happy and nervous while waiting for his first baby to be born.
“Nagsugod siyag contractions around 6 a.m. yesterday (December 31) but gi-observe lang sa namo. Around 12, ingon na ko nga adto na lang gyod mi og hospital para walay problema,” Gurrea told Cebu Daily News Digital.
(She (Mata) started having contractions at around 6 a.m. yesterday (December 31) but we decided to first observe her condition. At around 12 mindnight, I told her that we should already go to the hospital to avoid complications.)
Gurrea said they took a taxi from their house located along Mango Avenue, Cebu City to the birthing home located less than a kilometer away and under firework-lit skies.
Baby Crisander is the couple’s first born whom they waited for three years.
He was also the only baby born at the maternity home as of 3p.m. on New Year’s Day./dcb