[ Manila Bulletin Online ] November 28, 2008
By EDITH B. COLMO
BACOLOD CITY – The average birth rate in a single hospital in this city has reached 30 to 40 babies a day, according to Dr. Epifania S. Simbul, officer in charge of the Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital.
Dr. Simbul said most women giving birth are young mothers or middle aged. This means that in one month, there are 900 infants born in one hospital only.
This high birth rate has given substantial profits to businesses with babies as its markets such as feeding bottles, babies accessories and formula milk that are all fast selling products, as well as varied brands of disposable diapers.
Even ordinary women like sidewalk vendors now prefer disposable diapers because it is time-saving and easy to use, according to city officials.
Lots of mothers also prefer to feed their babies with formula milk because they find it more convenient.
A laundry woman here said she uses three pieces of disposable diapers everyday - - one in the morning, also one at noontime and another one in the afternoon. At bedtime, she no longer use disposable diapers because she has lots of old clothes to serve as diapers bedtime.
Disposable diapers are easier administered to the babies even with her eldest daughter attending the baby. Therefore, her job as laundry woman is not interrupted, she said.
Authorities said both private and public elementary schools here are overflowing with pre-school children because of the city’s rapid birth rate.
In a department store, according to a saleslady, the fast selling milk are those that are repacked because they are cheaper. Most of the customers are underground economists such as street vendors, she said.
Dr. Simbul said the city is also seeing a rise in teenage pregnancies, mostly those who have dropped out from schools.
