Mandaue City hall to put up lactation room

CEBU, Philippines - Mandaue City hall is set to put up its first lactation station soon.

Mayor Jonas Cortes said that since it is part of the administration's program to promote Mandaue as a mother-child friendly city, a lactation station for breastfeeding will be set up at the ground floor of the city hall.

Cortes made this announcement during the opening of the agri-fair at the city hall yesterday in celebration of the city's nutrition month.

"There is no question that breast milk is best for baby and we are providing a place at the city hall for mothers who are employees and those who are clients," Cortes said.

Cortes signed last Friday a memorandum of agreement with the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the National Nutrition Council Regional Office to promote a lactation program and set up breastfeeding stations in the workplace.

Health undersecretary Maria Bernardita of the National Nutrition Council who witnessed the event hailed the signing as the first in the country as she urged other local government units and business groups to replicate it.

Cortes said he has already instructed city health officer Dr. Edna Seno to set up the lactation station at city hall.

Mandaue is considered as the industrial center of the south and the furniture capital of the country.

Republic Act 10028 or the "Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009," signed by former President Gloria Arroyo last March 16, provides tax incentives to all government agencies and private establishments that would provide lactation stations for working mothers.

World Health Organization (WHO) said optimal breast-feeding practices can avert 13 percent of the 10.6 million annual deaths of children five years old and below.

The government prescribes exclusive breastfeeding of infants for the first six months, appropriate complementary feeding after six months and continued breastfeeding up to two years.

WHO noted that babies who were not breastfed in the first six months are 25 times more likely to die than those who experienced exclusive breastfeeding from the time they were born.

Dr. Seno said that she has already prepared the plan for the lactation station located near the legal office to be presented in the next meeting of Gender and Development Council headed by Sarah Cortes, the mayor's wife.  (FREEMAN)