breathing life to the role of a Bajau midwife

"In the remote island location, the production staff had identified several pregnant women who were due to give birth. There were false alarms. The right one came at midnight. The woman was already in labor for hours. At first there was talk of getting a double for Nora. But she insisted in doing it (the double didn't look like her at all). She was worried she was going to get squeamish. But no, she said, not even when the woman defecated. It was quick. And how would she describe what she saw, the newborn coming out into the world? 'Parang ulo ng manok,' she said. 'At saka parang lumolobo. Noong una maliit tapos biglang lumaki.' It was a boy."
-- WILFREDO PASCUAL, prize-winning essayist