Senator Loren Legarda has vowed her full support for the protection and promotion of breastfeeding in the country.
Legarda reaffirmed her support during the privilege speech of Sen. Pia Cayetano on Tuesday night as the former called on the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and Technical Vocational Education and Training Authority (TESDA) to integrate breastfeeding promotion into their curricula, in line with the Breastfeeding Promotion Act.
“Breastfeeding is a proven life-saving intervention. The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) recommend initiating it within the first hour after birth, exclusively breastfeeding for the first six months, and continuing breastfeeding with complementary feeding up to two years or beyond,” Legarda said as she underscored the critical role of breastfeeding in safeguarding infants’ health.
Based on the 2023 National Nutrition Survey, only 61.2 percent of infants in the Philippines were breastfed within the first hour of life. Exclusive breastfeeding for infants under six months stood at just 50.4 percent. Even more concerning, 17.7 percent of infants received pre-lacteal feeds, such as formula or other liquids, shortly after birth — practices that compromise successful breastfeeding from the very start.
Legarda said these figures reveal not only declining breastfeeding rates but also systemic gaps — inadequate workplace support for nursing mothers, limited and unevenly distributed milk banks, weak cold chain and inventory systems, and the absence of structured donor networks in many areas.
“To address these gaps, we need stronger policies, better coordination among agencies, and a culture that genuinely supports mothers and infants. Breastfeeding is not merely a personal choice; it is a shared responsibility that requires collective action from the government, communities, and workplaces,” she said.
Legarda filed Senate Bill No. 792, or An Act strengthening rooming-in, breastfeeding, and Breast Milk Banking practices in the Philippines, expanding and amending Republic Act (RA) 7600, otherwise known as the ‘Rooming-in and Breastfeeding Act of 1992,’ as amended by RA 10028, and providing funds and mechanisms therefor.
“Breastfeeding is a natural right, not a luxury. Yet in times of crisis, too many mothers face impossible choices between safety and nourishing their babies,” she said.
The bill will establish a National Breast Milk Banking Strategy, expand regional human milk bank units and satellite banks nationwide, mandate standardized safety protocols for collection, screening, and storage, and create a real-time online tracking system for efficient milk distribution.
Legarda said timely access to safe donor milk for premature and emergency-affected infants, representing a long-term investment in our children’s health and nutrition.
“By institutionalizing breast milk banks, we can significantly boost exclusive breastfeeding rates and give every Filipino child a stronger start in life,” Legarda said, as the country observes August as Breastfeeding Awareness Month, to prioritize and pass the proposed bill, making breastfeeding support accessible and sustainable for all Filipinos. (PNA)