Treñas-Chu urges parents to surrender children to care centers

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu is urging parents and guardians to surrender children to proper care facilities instead of abandoning them in unsafe places.

“If you don’t want your children and it is too hard for you, there are centers that you can go to […] I appeal that we do not leave the babies or children just anywhere,” Treñas-Chu said.

She emphasized that facilities like the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) in Molo can provide immediate shelter, care, and intervention to ensure a child’s safety and well-being.

The mayor issued the appeal following three reported child abandonment cases in the city over the past week, two of which were fatal.

On July 28, a fetus was discovered inside a plastic bag in front of the Tanza Bonifacio health center in the City Proper.

On July 30, a newborn boy was found alive beside a warehouse along Zamora Street in Barangay Concepcion.

He was wrapped in a jacket, with the umbilical cord still attached and visible traces of dried blood.

On August 3, another fetus, already in an advanced state of decomposition, was recovered in Oñate de Leon, Mandurriao.

Treñas-Chu said there are families willing to adopt and emphasized that lawful and compassionate alternatives exist to protect a child’s future.

She also called for understanding toward those facing unplanned pregnancies, urging them not to let children suffer the consequences.

“They are angels. They are angels of the family and our community,” she said.

On August 5, the Iloilo City Police Station 1 confirmed that a 25-year-old woman admitted to abandoning the newborn found on July 30.

The woman, who is reportedly a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, initially denied involvement but later confessed after visiting the baby.

She did not provide a clear reason for abandoning the child.

Police identified her through CCTV footage that captured her walking through Barangay Concepcion at midnight on July 30, appearing to cradle something wrapped in a jacket.

She is not a resident of Barangay Concepcion and was later found living in a rented unit in Barangay Boulevard, Molo.

She was brought to the Western Visayas Medical Center, where the baby is currently under medical care.

Authorities suspect she may be experiencing mental health issues and are considering further evaluation.