An abandoned newborn girl was rescued from an overgrown wasteland in the Philippines.

The naked child with her umbilical cord still attached was dumped by her cruel mother in the tall grass near a residential area in Tagum City in Davao del Norte province.

Villagers discovered the foundling on Tuesday morning, December 10, after hearing her crying. They flocked to the wasteland and were shocked to find the newborn lying on a piece of cloth as she was exposed to the elements.

Footage shows resident Jona Lognasin, seen in the video in a red shirt, wrapping the baby girl in a cloth to warm her. The child. who was covered in dried up maternal fluids, started crying as Jona cradled her in her arms.

Locals rushed the baby to a local hospital for treatment. She was reported to be in safe condition.

A Tagum City Police spokesman said: 'We are investigating the identity of the girl's parents.'

The girl will be handed over to the City Social Welfare and Development Office after being discharged.

Jona said: 'I can't adopt her right away, because I have to go through the proper legal procedures. The law is quite different now, so we are deciding how to go about the adoption. My husband and I are willing to take care of her.'

On October 9, a newborn boy left in a chicken coop was rescued by residents in Batangas province.

The premature child had been stuffed inside an eco bag and left on the steps of a chicken coop. He was found by housewife Malou De Leon while she was doing her morning chores.

The Philippines is among the most overpopulated countries in the world due to poor family planning and reproductive health services.

Cultural and religious beliefs in the deeply Catholic nation have hampered policies involving contraception, while inadequate education on reproductive health limits awareness about smaller family planning options.

The result is a high rate of unintended pregnancies, with the Philippines ranking 56th out of 150 countries, according to the United Nations Population Fund.