Mermaid, Born in Candon City

the mermaid-like baby born in Candon City, Ilocos Sur, Philippines

It was 1:30 past midnight of August 21, 2008, Wednesday.  The rain was heavy and the wind blew so strong.  Typhoon Karen was on her way to the wrath.

But in the small village of Patpatta 2nd, Candon City, a coastal barangay of Candon, there is a happening that is unusual to anybody, a mermaid was born here.

The house made from coconut leaves and woods, lighted only by small gas lamp, everybody was eager to see the infant, born with no legs but a fish tail like, no sex, and no anus, the ear is noticeably small. They said, it was a baby mermaid.

The baby cried, but after 30 minutes, it died.

The mother, Ruby Martin Orfiano, 25 years old said that she was not shock seeing her baby having with tail like of a fish.

During interview, she said:  “Kaykayatko ti agbuya ti teleserye Marina, ket isu payen ti naginawak, isu ngata a kasta ti langa ti anakko.”  She said.

This was confirmed by her husband, Larry, 36 years old:  “Siak payen ti agluto ti pangaldaw no kua, sir, ta liwayanna metten ti agluto no mapan agbuya ti Marina.”

Marina is a popular tv series of ABS-CBN Channel 2, where the lead star, Claudine Barretto, play a character of a mermaid.

Carmelita Roquepo, who administer the delivery of the child acknowledge that she was a little bit shock when she saw the baby:  “it is my first time to administer the birth of a mermaid like baby.”

This supposed to be the fourth child of the couple, but sad to say, it died after 30 minutes from birth.  It now lies in the Toquero Funeral Homes where people can view it.

In the morning, the story of a born mermaid spreaded in the locality, likewise the story of the wrath brought by typhoon Karen who submerged Candon City into water and leave million of damages in agricultural and infrastructure.

Many believes that the baby was a mermaid, but some say it was not.  But anyway, I recall the pictures from Cebu that spread in the country where they say, a merman was found.  Some pictures of it can be view for authenticity.