Politicians rush to give aid to quintuplets

MANILA, Philippines - Politicians and ordinary people yesterday flocked to government-run Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center to visit and extend help to the country’s first ever quintuplets born alive.

Among the visitors of the quintuplets were Sen. Mar Roxas and his fiancée, broadcaster Korina Sanchez, who also became the infants’ proud godparents.

Obstetrician Dr. Rowena Duenas said the celebrity couple arrived with a priest who baptized the infants at the hospital’s neo-intensive care unit.

The babies were named Korina Isabel, Mary Lorelaine, Melody Frances, Sarah Erica and Rowena Mavinia, after some of the doctors who helped deliver the babies as well as after Korina.

Aside from Korina and Mar, there were also congressmen and mayors who stood as godparents.

According to Duenas, the quintuplets received a lot of gifts and donations from Mar, Korina, politicians and ordinary folk.

Proud mom Lorita Barrera earlier expressed concern over the health of her babies as well as their medical expenses and future needs because her husband has no regular job.

The babies were born prematurely last Sunday and made history by becoming the country’s first-ever live quintuplet birth.

Duenas said the five babies are still in unstable condition until yesterday.

Since they were born prematurely, doctors said the babies are having difficulty breathing on their own and had to be put in incubators. – Mayen Jaymalin