Parents of kids who drowned in pond get aid from Capitol

CEBU, Philippines - The parents of the two children who drowned in a fishpond in Barangay Perrelos, Carcar City received a P10,000 monetary assistance, a sack of rice, a box of coffee and sardines from the provincial government.

Governor Gwendolyn Garcia personally handed over the assistance to Adonis Sarsaba and Marivic Melano during her inspection of the newly built Carcar Provincial Hospital yesterday.

Board Member Julian Daan also gave an undisclosed amount from his own pocket.

Sarsaba was the one who raised the two kids, James Lloyd, 8, and Renz, 7, together with his live-in partner. And while Melano is the biological mother, the couple agreed in the presence of Garcia that the assistance will go to Sarsaba, considering that he is the one who raised the children and who will shoulder the burial expenses on Sunday.

Melano now lives with another partner.

Sarsaba believed his sons might have fallen into the pond where they usually fished. They were supposed to return to school last Monday, a day before they drowned in the pond last Sunday. 

James was an incoming Grade 2 student while Renz was an incoming Grade 1 student at the Perrelos Elementary School.

Garcia said the assistance will never be enough to heal the pain yet she advised the parents to continue praying to God.

Yesterday, Garcia went to the first provincial hospital where the two kids were first brought and were declared dead on arrival.

Garcia told reporters that the hospital is 85 percent complete with most of the needed equipment and personnel already in place. The hospital has 100 beds. 

“In a matter of month and a half, we should have everything in place,” Garcia said.

A separate building with eight rooms is also available for specialists who would like to hold clinic there for free provided that they will act as consultant to the hospital.

Garcia said Dr. Gerardo Aquino of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center promised to her to send resident doctors to the Carcar Provincial Hospital when they have free time.

The Department of Health is also set to inspect the facility for issuance of the permit and accreditation by Philhealth.

Garcia said the operating room will be opened once DOH issues a temporary notice to open the facility. The room reportedly already has equipment in place.

Garcia said that it is the first time for the province to operate a tertiary hospital. She said whatever shortcomings the arrangement encounters should not be repeated in the ongoing construction of another provincial hospital in Danao City and Balamban.

The Carcar Provincial Hospital was built starting June last year with a budget of around P70 million. — (FREEMAN)