Manay Gina de Venecia, once instantly became “komadrona”
Women’s Month Special:
IN this women’s month celebration, it would be worthwhile to recall now Manay Gina de Venecia turned into an instant “komadrona” (midwife) that saved the life of a woman heavy with a child she found lying on the street on a dark cold night, writhing in pain, asking for mercy.
This happened on a dark cold night in Baguio sometime in 1995 with no cameras on to record it while the wife of then House Speaker Jose de Venecia was on board their car driven by their family driver, Ruben Rosales, while proceeding to the De Venecia’s retreat house.
Seeing the woman in pitiful condition, Mrs. de Venecia ordered the driver to pull over, got out from the car to comfort the woman and saw for herself that she was already on the throes of advanced labor.
From her talk with the woman, she was bringing herself to the hospital with no companion at all where she intended to give birth. She was trying to flag down a vehicle, but because it was already late at night, a ride to the hospital was already remote.
Seeing the baby’s head already coming out, and sensing it would be too late if they bring the woman to the hospital, she told the driver to bring a blanket from the car and, together, they helped the woman deliver her baby on the spot with only the headlight of the car providing the illumination.
She succeeded with no tool at all and with no knowledge whatsoever in medical procedures. When the newly-borne finally came out of this world and made an impish cry, Mrs. de Venecia, as a mother, can not hold back the tears that welled from her eyes.
She then quickly tied the baby’s umbilical cord with a thread, then wrapped the mother and her baby in the blanket before she brought them in a hurry to the Baguio General Hospital for much needed medical attention.
On that fateful night, Manay Gina delivered two lives—both of whom might not be living now if not for the Good Samaritan who stopped by the roadside to help them.
The mother whose name is also a Gina, named the baby, Gina” in honor of the woman who could have gone on with her journey but stopped, so that they, too, will live and fulfill their dreams.
In 1940, Josefa Llanes Escoda became known for empowering women, when she established the Girl Scouts of the Philippines. Melchora Aquino was likewise celebrated for helping the destitute katipuneros during the first Philippine revolution.
Among the many heroines today, Gina de Venecia is distinctive as the one, who champions the cause of abused women, children and the elderly.
As then president of Congressional Spouses Foundation, Inc. (CSFI), she rallied her fellow congressional spouses to build The Haven for Women and its 15 regional centers that rehabilitate abused women.
They also built The Haven for Children and its 4 regional centers to save the streetchildren.
Her last project for the CSFI was the construction of The Haven for the Elderly, a 20- building community- assisted facility for abandoned senior citizens.
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