Baby found inside shopping bag in Santa Barbara, Iloilo

A baby girl was found inside a shopping bag in Santa Barbara, Iloilo.

Residents surmised that she is newly born as the umbilical cord is still intact when she was found by a couple evening on January 20, 2026.

The infant was placed inside a shopping bag and hung from a bamboo protruding from the wall of a garage by the roadside when she was found. 

Residents of Barangay Cabugao Sur, Santa Barbara cleaned up the baby girl and wrapped her in cloth diaper.

“Pagbukas namin, nakangiti ang bata, gumagalaw siya. Normal ang bata. Tapos, parang kinabahan ang mga BHW. Nagdesisyon na lang kami na dalhin sa sentro,” Ernesto Latoza Jr., a tanod (watchman) of Barangay Cabugao Sur, said.

The infant was taken immediately to the health center and was later transferred to the Western Visayas Sanitarium and General Hospital where her condition is monitored.

Based on investigation of Santa Barbara Police, it is highly likely that the person who left the child is from another place, as there is no report of a woman due for baby delivery in their area prior to the incident.  

“It’s either na iniwan diyan sa area lang. Dumaan lang diyan ang nanay at diyan lang iniwan para madaling makita,” Captain Raphy Señeres, chief of the Santa Barbara Municipal Police Station, said.

However, establishing the identity of the culprit poses a huge challenge to the police as the area is dim, and that it has no CCTV camera. 

Authorities reminded the public that abandonment of children has serious legal consequences.

“Pasok siya sa (paglabag sa) R.A. 7610. Syempre, abandonment at neglect ng bata,” Señeres added. — GMA Regional TV