DOLE 8 launches breastfeeding room, regional website on July 19

By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
July 17, 2010

TACLOBAN CITY  –  On July 19, the Department of Labor and Employment in Eastern Visayas under the leadership of Regional Director Forter Puguon, is set to launch its breastfeeding room and its regional website.

The launching of the Breastfeeding Room is DOLE’s response to the Regional Development Council of Eastern Visayas’ call all government agencies to provide a breastfeeding room for their lactating employees and clients, pursuant to Executive Order 51 and 273.

This is in compliance with the mandate of R.A. 10028 or the “Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009” (Amending R.A. 7600) which makes it a national policy to adopt appropriate facilities to encourage, protect and support the practice of breast feeding. This is actuated through the provision of an environment where the physical, emotional, and psychological needs of mothers and infants are fulfilled.

The law also provides incentives to private establishments for their compliance with such policy by making expenses incurred in constructing a lactating room within their premises tax deductible. Also, pertinent government agencies providing such facilities are allowed to charge their expenses in providing such facilities to gender and development (GAD) and repairs and/or their maintenance budget.

The Launching is set to start at 9:00 o’clock in the morning at the DOLE Training Center, with the Nutrition Prayer to be led by Ms. Lady Velarde and the Welcome Message of Director Puguon.

Ms. Carina Z. Santiago, the Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator will present the Nutrition Program Talking Points based on this year’s Nutrition Month celebration’s theme: “Sa Pagkaing Tama at Sapat, Wastong Timbang ni Baby ang Katapat.”

After the launching of the Breastfeeding Room by Director Puguon and the Regional Technical Working Group on Nutrition, Ms. Emily Grande of the Department of Health will discuss the role of good nutrition in preventing lifestyle diseases.

This will be followed by the Launching of the DOLE 8 website by Mr. Demi Uyvico and Mr. Dondon Doroja.

EO 51 or the Milk Code of the Philippines requires breastfeeding advocacies in both the public and private sector, while EO 273 has adopted breastfeeding as a gender-related concern and calls for the establishment of a breastfeeding corner/room using their gender and development (GAD) budget which is five percent or more of their total agency funds from other sources.

All government agencies and instrumentalities, to include the academe, should set an example by establishing breastfeeding centers in their respective domains primarily to allow mothers to breastfeed their babies.