It is very uncommon for full-blooded Filipinos to have blue eyes. If they do, they must have a foreign blood that they inherited from either their father or mother. If you see adult Filipinos who have blue eyes, you may think that they must be wearing blue contact lenses and that is very possible. But what about if you see a child with blue eyes?
Few Filipino children have been reported to have blue eyes. One of them is a little Sarangani girl who is attracting the attention of the media.
GMA News reporter Asmarie Labao explored the extraordinary life of Chenie Abarao Tuvilla, the girl with blue eyes, and featured it on GMA Public Affairs Stand for Truth, which report was published on GMA News Online on October 29.
Because of her blue eyes, Chenie was often teased by her classmates calling her names like “aswang” or “manika.”
Cherie’s mother, Cherie May Cole Abarao, disclosed that they didn’t have any foreign blood but a few of her relatives also had the similar condition.
There is a scientific explanation why this condition happens to races that do not have colored eyes. A specialist in ophtalmic surgery explained that colored eyes a known product of a mutation that limits the production of the melanin in the iris.
“So dahil kulang nang melanin, instead na ina-absorb ng melanin ‘yung light, ang nangyayari, sina-scatter back niya. Nag-re-reflect. So, ang nangyayari nagmumukhang blue or green or gray or yung mata natin,” Dr. Margarita Echaves said.
As to Chenie’s condition, doctors have found nothing wrong with her eyesight. She ca see perfectly but there was observed difficulty in hearing and speech. This condition is also present in another girl who have blue eyes, Jhopai O. Ventura. You can read her story here.
Nevertheless, her father, Ronnie Tuvilla, says, “Masaya ako na normal siya.”
“Kita naman na nakakapagsalita siya, kahit sabi nilang hindi siya nakakapagsalita. Sabi niya nga, ‘mama, mama’,” he added.
Credits: The Most Popular List
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