What caught residents’ attention early Tuesday morning was not trash, but a faint movement inside a green eco-bag in a garbage area along Gotianoy Street, Barangay Kamputhaw.
Inside, they found a newborn baby girl abandoned and in need of immediate care.
Authorities were alerted and secured the scene, coordinating with the barangay ambulance team to transport the infant to Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC).
The baby remains admitted under protective custody and is receiving proper medical attention.
Police have identified a woman of legal age as a person of interest, believed to be the newborn’s biological mother.
She is also hospitalized at VSMMC for treatment while investigators continue their work.
Reports indicate the woman had been temporarily staying in an apartment in the same barangay and had traveled to Cebu City for the Sinulog Festival last Sunday.
Apartment occupants noticed her bleeding early Tuesday and rushed her to the hospital.
Witnesses said they saw her leaving the apartment and discarding an item in a nearby garbage area, which later led to the discovery of the baby.
The Cebu City Police Office’s Women and Children Protection Desk is handling the case to ensure a thorough investigation and child-protection measures.
Authorities are working to determine the circumstances of the abandonment and possible criminal liability under existing laws.
Cebu City Mayor Nestor Archival urged parents facing serious personal, financial, or social challenges to seek assistance from government offices instead of abandoning children.
Programs through the Department of Social Welfare and Services include child care, counseling, and facilitation of legal adoption for children whose biological parents cannot care for them.
Archival stressed that families can approach the city government without fear, as protecting children remains a priority.
