Pinay mom in Kuwait exchanges used breast pump for passport processing

Wanting to be with her two-month old baby in the face of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, a 32-year-old make-up artist in The Lip Lab Kuwait has bartered her used breast pump to process the passport of her loved one.

“Mas masarap kasi sa pakiramdam ‘pag kasama ko ang anak ko habang nandito sa Kuwait, maalagaan ko siya ng maayos. Doble ingat naman kami dito at hindi namin siya inilalabas ng bahay,” shared Mary Jane Atesora, referring to Marzouq Jay Aguilar.

“Three times ko lang naman nagamit yung Medela breast pump at yung cream, nursing pad, at storage ay hindi pa nabubuksan. Plan ko kasi talaga mag-breast feed kaya nabili ko lahat yan nung bago mag-lockdown kaso ayaw ni baby yung gatas ko,” she added in an interview via Messenger on August 3.

Atesora had bought the breast pump for 58.500 KWD (P9387.94).

The cream, nursing pad, and storage bag cost 16.300 KWD (P2614.68).

From what she has gathered, though, the passport of her baby would cost 19.500 KWD (P3129.31) and 8.125 KWD (P1301.88) to register, totaling to 27.625 KWD (P4433.20).

“Nung time na wala pang pandemic, kaya sana naming mag-asawa kasi may konting ipon naman kami. Kaso hindi namin inasahan na magkaroon ng ganitong sitwasyon. Eh may mga binabayaran din kami na bahay at mga bills.”

Fortunately, through the page “Bayanihan Kuwait,” Atesora had found a way to keep her baby---one to four months before a non-Kuwaiti national has to file and/or renew a visa--after exchanging the second-hand breast pump for 40 KWD (P6416.39). 

“Dati, ang rules ay 3-6 months ang pag-renew at pagkuha ng visa pero ngayon ay extended dahil sa pandemic.”

“Ang problem ko na lang ngayon ay ang pagkakaroon ng appointment sa embassy. Marami rin mga Pilipino dito na ‘no work, no pay’ na may mga baby din, mga nanay na gustong kuhanan ng passport ang mga anak kaso walang budget kasi medyo may kamahalan ang pagkuha ng passport dito at pamasahe. Sana i-consider ng embahada ang sitwasyon naming mga OFWs sa ngayon at gawin na muna nilang ‘passport now, pay later’ hanggang makasahod ang mga magulang.”

Thirty-one Filipinos--including four healthcare workers--have died because of COVID-19 in Kuwait as of July 16, the first victim was a female domestic worker. —LBG, GMA News