The implementation of breast feeding room is underway. In a short while, there will breast feeding rooms in offices and in public places in Davao city.
“We really require our establishments whether government or private, mga agencies, mga opisina to be mother and baby friendly as well,” said Clarose Mascardo, Breast feeding program manager for the Department of Health (Region 11) at the Connect Forum, Friday.
The breast feeding room should have the necessary needs of the mother once they wanted to breastfeed such as sofa, the room should be well ventilated and the office breast feeding room should also have refrigerator or cooling equipment, this is for the mother who opted not to bring their baby at work for them to store their breast milk.
The construction of the first Milk bank in the city is also seen to hopefully commence by 2018, Justine Talahangit of LATCH Davao told Connect.
The milk bank will be established in Southern Philippines Medical Center. The budget for construction is already available.
Talahangit said the milk bank was made possible with the coordinative efforts of LATCH Davao and its partners, including Congressman Karlo Alexei Nograles. This project aims to provide healthy milk for the infants.
LATCH also exert efforts in giving support to mothers in the form of free classes at the Davao Doctor’s Hospital, Brokenshire Hospitals.
The program is supported by three mandates; Republic 10028 also known as “Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009” Executive order 51 also known as the milk code and Republic Act No. 7600 An Act Providing Incentives To All Government And Private Health Institutions With Rooming-In And Breast-Feeding Practices And For Other Purposes.
