Woman gives birth in Manila-bound plane

Crew members of the Philippine Airlines flight on which a woman gave birth pose with the baby and the mother. Photo: Paulo Infante

Photos of a woman giving birth inside a Manila-bound plane have gone viral online, with netizens praising the flight crew over the baby’s safe delivery.

Paulo Infante, a Philippine Airlines employee, said in a post yesterday that flight attendant Marigold Parreño assisted a passenger in labor aboard PR 683 from Dammam, Saudi Arabia "and helped her deliver a healthy baby girl four hours before the plane landed in Manila.’"

‘’What a very proud moment for PAL!’’ Infante said.

The post showed Parreno helping deliver the baby as well as the mother holding the infant while posing for a photo with the crew.

In a phone interview, Parreño said they always have medical equipment onboard in case of emergencies like this.

Her background as a former nurse also proved valuable during the ordeal.

"Mabilis yung pangyayari kaya kung ano lang yung instinct mo to help the mom and the baby, ginawa ko na lang po," she said.

Parreño said other passengers who also happened to be nurses helped the passenger as well.

"Nagtulungan po kaming lahat para talagang yung baby maging safe saka yung mom," she said.

In a statement, Philippine Airlines spokesperson Cielo Villaluna said the company is proud of all their cabin crew who have assisted passengers during extraordinary situations in flight.

"They are safety and service practitioners who live and breathe Buong Pusong Alaga. With presence of mind and teamwork and genuine care, they succeed in answering the call of the situation," said Villaluna.

The post has generated more than 4,000 engagments, 163 comments and has been shared 1,800 as of writing. — LA/BM, GMA News