An abandoned baby girl was found alive inside a sack dumped in overgrown wasteland in the Philippines.

The newborn infant was heard crying by residents who were collecting coconut husks at around 10 pm in Bacacay Town, Albay province, on November 28.

They followed the sound and found the sack lying amid tall grass. When they opened it, they were horrified to find the child covered in ants with its umbilical cord still attached.

The locals reported the discovery to the police and rushed the baby to the Ziga Memorial District Hospital.

Police Major Karlo Dy, Bacacay Municipal Police Station chief, said: 'We are coordinating with the Municipal Welfare and Development Office to determine our next course of action regarding the abandoned baby. We already have leads on who her mum might be. She could face charges of child abandonment.'

Villager Michael Golgota, who was among the residents who found the baby, added: 'We opened the sack and saw the baby's head wrapped in pajamas. We saw that her face was covered in ants. She seemed more comfortable after we wrapped her up in a blanket.'

Authorities believe the girl had been born just a few hours before it was found. They said she was underweight and needed monitoring at the hospital.

The Bacacay Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office has taken custody of the baby.