PAPER BAG BABY
In a small remote town of Sapang Palay located in the province of Bulacan in Central Luzon, Philippines was a woman who was eight months pregnant. As an expecting mother, she had a lot of concerns like a new mother would have. How would she raise, nurture, and provide for this new human coming into the world? With those uncertainties, she was willing to do whatever it took to make sure she had the best life for her child.
Living in the Philippines during 1983 was a tough time economically. At that time, the poverty level was nearly 60 percent throughout the country, and one would make less than one US dollar even from a full day of work. The father of the baby, Leo Bueno, was working construction and trying his best to meet the needs of his new growing family. However, he started to get the effects of what seemed to be a common cold just a couple of months before the birth of his boy. Not thinking much about it, he continued to work, and his sickness was getting worse. With no insurance or money, he could not afford to get this illness treated. Come to find out that he had tuberculous and on November 3rd, 1983 just 25 days before his child would be born this father passes away.
It's tough to imagine the uncertainties and emotions of what this expecting mother was going through. Even though heartache of losing her companion was painful, Carmelita knew that she had to be strong to bring this baby into the world as healthy as possible. In late November she checks herself into a nearby hospital about four miles away from where she was living at the time.
She lived with her family in Sapang Palay and just like most of the homes around this area, they were built by hand and by what people could forge or afford. Simple homes were structured with cinder blocks held together with cement, simple plyboard panels and tin sheets used as walls and roofing.
Worn out two by fours with nails every few feet to hold the sheets intact. No windows or doors and when it rained water fell through the swiss cheese roofing, reminding them that more tin was needed to cover the holes. The structure had two floors. Going up to the second floor, you find yourself in one big area and two tiny rooms off to the sides. One was like a closet where everyone's clothing and personals were stored, and the other one was a small room if anyone wanted privacy. But privacy was hard to come by. The door to each room was a thin layer of cotton sheets hanging on a wire, and the thin layer of a wall having been crafted by plyboard. Everyone slept in the big room beside the one who was lucky enough to get the only bed they had downstairs. It was a single mattress old spring double bed, and if someone was kind enough, you could fit two people on it. If not, then you would find yourself with the rest of the family upstairs. Where everyone slept on a straw mat that protected you from fraying slivers of wood in the wooden flooring and a mosquito net that hung above to protect you from the insects that thrive at night.
The downstairs of this humble home consisted of three rooms that were partitioned by cinder blocks and the floors being made of cement. A tiny bedroom that had the only bed in the house. The living room which furnished some modest well used furniture. One would use the bathroom which was under the stairs, and it was just a room with a thin cotton sheet and a bucket. No running water and the water that was used usually came from a well out back which was next to the kitchen. The kitchen had a simple stove and a tarp that covered the elements. Just a few yards away, there was a stream, and next to the creek was a pig pin. Electricity was taken from a nearby power line that went into the home to power lights, the stove and outlets to plug in electronics but that usually went in and out throughout the day.
The Basco family was not foreign to this way of living. The family's heritage dates back to the indigenous tribes that roamed the jungles of the Philippines, who are also known as Igorot. Igorot is interpreted as "mountain people" and a primitive group who were well skilled with the knowledge and tools to sustain themselves with little means they had.
[They also practiced head-hunting. Here's the Wikipedia rundown of my heritage.]
This small shack which they called home, housed Carmen's brothers, sisters, their husbands and wives and nieces, and nephews, as well as her mother. Although they were family in this small space, they were also very independent of one another. You have to look after your own family first. They helped where they could, but it was the culture to sustain yourself the best you can. Everyone had their own family to look after, and that's your responsibility, not the responsibility of others.
The moment came when she knew it was time to bring her child into the world. On November 28, 1983, Eguniño (Heno) Basco was born as a healthy baby boy. He will later be known as Gene E. Garner. Carmen knew that she couldn't afford the hospital bills to pay for the delivery and stay at the hospital, but she went to the hospital anyway. It was the only assurance she knew that her son's birth would be safe. With the pressures from the hospital telling her if she could not pay, they will put her son for adoption and have the adopted parents cover the mounting bills. Fearing they would take her only child away from her, she had little to no options left. She had to figure out a solution to keep her baby.
Growing up, the Basco family worked extremely hard to make the best living they could for themselves. Instead of school, most of the children worked wherever they could to provide for the family. Helping to pay for food, repairs to the house, and any other needed items. As much and as hard as they worked, it barely brought enough means to pay for enough food for everyone. In most cases, everyone went to bed famished. Carmen felt a lot of this responsibility is the oldest of all her siblings and did things unprecedented to assure survival to those she loved.
There was a one-point in Carmen's life during her late adolescent years where they were so hungry that she took her younger sister to a restaurant in Manila. She told her sister that she could eat anything she wanted regardless of money. It was a long time since they remembered their last proper meal, and their hunger was more important than the results of breaking the law. Knowing she could not pay, they reluctantly had their fill of rice, adobo, and sinigang. Understanding that there will be consequences she told her sister to leave to the bathroom and go home. She stayed and accepted the punishment of satisfying their hungry stomachs.
While in the hospital, Carmen was not left with many reasonable options. That fear of her only baby boy being taken away from her shook her to the core. She already lost his dad, and she was not going to lose her baby. Having so much love for her only child, she had only one option in her mind, and that was to flee the hospital. Waiting for the perfect moment, she gathered all her personal belongings and one late night while Heno was in the room with her sleeping she decides to walk out. Knowing that a newborn would draw a lot of attention to her as she left, she decides to put her newborn baby in something that looked inconspicuous.
The only thing she was able to find was a brown paper bag. She gently placed her newborn in the paper bag and then in her arms, she crept past the receptionist into the freedom of the night. With Heno in tow free from the brown confinement, she was running towards her home in fear that police would be after her. She ran for four miles, not knowing what would happen if they caught her or what would happen to this little man she just smuggled out of the hospital. Regardless she knew she would do whatever it took to be with him and be happy.
Upon returning back to her humble home - she looked at her baby to whom she just sacrificed so much for. Only to realize that the life of Heno would be different, and little did she know how inspiring it would be.
Living in the Philippines during 1983 was a tough time economically. At that time, the poverty level was nearly 60 percent throughout the country, and one would make less than one US dollar even from a full day of work. The father of the baby, Leo Bueno, was working construction and trying his best to meet the needs of his new growing family. However, he started to get the effects of what seemed to be a common cold just a couple of months before the birth of his boy. Not thinking much about it, he continued to work, and his sickness was getting worse. With no insurance or money, he could not afford to get this illness treated. Come to find out that he had tuberculous and on November 3rd, 1983 just 25 days before his child would be born this father passes away.
It's tough to imagine the uncertainties and emotions of what this expecting mother was going through. Even though heartache of losing her companion was painful, Carmelita knew that she had to be strong to bring this baby into the world as healthy as possible. In late November she checks herself into a nearby hospital about four miles away from where she was living at the time.
She lived with her family in Sapang Palay and just like most of the homes around this area, they were built by hand and by what people could forge or afford. Simple homes were structured with cinder blocks held together with cement, simple plyboard panels and tin sheets used as walls and roofing. Worn out two by fours with nails every few feet to hold the sheets intact. No windows or doors and when it rained water fell through the swiss cheese roofing, reminding them that more tin was needed to cover the holes. The structure had two floors. Going up to the second floor, you find yourself in one big area and two tiny rooms off to the sides. One was like a closet where everyone's clothing and personals were stored, and the other one was a small room if anyone wanted privacy. But privacy was hard to come by. The door to each room was a thin layer of cotton sheets hanging on a wire, and the thin layer of a wall having been crafted by plyboard. Everyone slept in the big room beside the one who was lucky enough to get the only bed they had downstairs. It was a single mattress old spring double bed, and if someone was kind enough, you could fit two people on it. If not, then you would find yourself with the rest of the family upstairs. Where everyone slept on a straw mat that protected you from fraying slivers of wood in the wooden flooring and a mosquito net that hung above to protect you from the insects that thrive at night.
The downstairs of this humble home consisted of three rooms that were partitioned by cinder blocks and the floors being made of cement. A tiny bedroom that had the only bed in the house. The living room which furnished some modest well used furniture. One would use the bathroom which was under the stairs, and it was just a room with a thin cotton sheet and a bucket. No running water and the water that was used usually came from a well out back which was next to the kitchen. The kitchen had a simple stove and a tarp that covered the elements. Just a few yards away, there was a stream, and next to the creek was a pig pin. Electricity was taken from a nearby power line that went into the home to power lights, the stove and outlets to plug in electronics but that usually went in and out throughout the day.
The Basco family was not foreign to this way of living. The family's heritage dates back to the indigenous tribes that roamed the jungles of the Philippines, who are also known as Igorot. Igorot is interpreted as "mountain people" and a primitive group who were well skilled with the knowledge and tools to sustain themselves with little means they had.
[They also practiced head-hunting. Here's the Wikipedia rundown of my heritage.]
This small shack which they called home, housed Carmen's brothers, sisters, their husbands and wives and nieces, and nephews, as well as her mother. Although they were family in this small space, they were also very independent of one another. You have to look after your own family first. They helped where they could, but it was the culture to sustain yourself the best you can. Everyone had their own family to look after, and that's your responsibility, not the responsibility of others.
The moment came when she knew it was time to bring her child into the world. On November 28, 1983, Eguniño (Heno) Basco was born as a healthy baby boy. He will later be known as Gene E. Garner. Carmen knew that she couldn't afford the hospital bills to pay for the delivery and stay at the hospital, but she went to the hospital anyway. It was the only assurance she knew that her son's birth would be safe. With the pressures from the hospital telling her if she could not pay, they will put her son for adoption and have the adopted parents cover the mounting bills. Fearing they would take her only child away from her, she had little to no options left. She had to figure out a solution to keep her baby.
Growing up, the Basco family worked extremely hard to make the best living they could for themselves. Instead of school, most of the children worked wherever they could to provide for the family. Helping to pay for food, repairs to the house, and any other needed items. As much and as hard as they worked, it barely brought enough means to pay for enough food for everyone. In most cases, everyone went to bed famished. Carmen felt a lot of this responsibility is the oldest of all her siblings and did things unprecedented to assure survival to those she loved.
There was a one-point in Carmen's life during her late adolescent years where they were so hungry that she took her younger sister to a restaurant in Manila. She told her sister that she could eat anything she wanted regardless of money. It was a long time since they remembered their last proper meal, and their hunger was more important than the results of breaking the law. Knowing she could not pay, they reluctantly had their fill of rice, adobo, and sinigang. Understanding that there will be consequences she told her sister to leave to the bathroom and go home. She stayed and accepted the punishment of satisfying their hungry stomachs.
While in the hospital, Carmen was not left with many reasonable options. That fear of her only baby boy being taken away from her shook her to the core. She already lost his dad, and she was not going to lose her baby. Having so much love for her only child, she had only one option in her mind, and that was to flee the hospital. Waiting for the perfect moment, she gathered all her personal belongings and one late night while Heno was in the room with her sleeping she decides to walk out. Knowing that a newborn would draw a lot of attention to her as she left, she decides to put her newborn baby in something that looked inconspicuous.
The only thing she was able to find was a brown paper bag. She gently placed her newborn in the paper bag and then in her arms, she crept past the receptionist into the freedom of the night. With Heno in tow free from the brown confinement, she was running towards her home in fear that police would be after her. She ran for four miles, not knowing what would happen if they caught her or what would happen to this little man she just smuggled out of the hospital. Regardless she knew she would do whatever it took to be with him and be happy.
Upon returning back to her humble home - she looked at her baby to whom she just sacrificed so much for. Only to realize that the life of Heno would be different, and little did she know how inspiring it would be.
I had absolutely no idea that this was your beginning. What a hard-working and loving father and mother...can't wait to read more.
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