www.breastfeedingphilippines.com

These are some of the feedback we got from our participants during the November 2006 trainings:

“I have already stopped breastfeeding for one year because my neighbors told me that my breastmilk is not nutritious anymore. During the training, I felt a strong desire to breastfeed and my breasts felt full. After applying the massage techniques, I couldn’t believe it! I still have (breast)milk!”

“What I like most is the topic about the benefits of breastfeeding and the hazards associated with bottle feeding, the seven (7) issues (that breastfeeding addresses), the three ( 3) pillars of breastfeeding: Support, Promotion and Protection and how we can help mothers breastfeed, for example, parenting classes, initiation in the hospital, etc.”

“What I like most in the course is the food served, they are indigenous, but the taste has not been sacrificed…it seems you are not eating meatless food.”

“We really want to thank you in behalf of our Bukas Palad Foundation for the wonderful information/knowledge (that you gave) as a gift to every Filipino. It is a great help to us. We will pray for all of you!! GOD BLESS YOU!!”

“Congratulations to Dr. Elvira Henares-Esguerra and Nona Andaya-Castillo for a job well done and for opening our eyes to the true meaning of God’s wisdom and generosity and nature’s perfect rhythm and abundance.”

Project History and Rationale

In August 2002, two breastfeeding counselor/advocates, Elvira L. Henares-Esguerra, MD, FPDS, RPh, IBCLC, Director of Children for Breastfeeding and Nona D. Andaya-Castillo, IBCLC, Director of Nurturers of the Earth, established the first Breastfeeding Clinic in a private hospital and provided classes and counseling services to the hospitals’ indigent patients.
On the first day of the clinic, 27 mothers showed up and only one was breastfeeding! The following week, that sole breastfeeding mother was told by her doctor to stop breastfeeding because of the medications the doctor prescribed. The advocates realized that despite poverty, many mothers opt to formula feed, unaware of its dangerous consequences to their children’s health and lives.
In October 2004, these advocates passed an international accreditation and became two of the only three International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) in the country, a recognized health profession in all European hospitals and in many parts of the world including USA, Australia and Canada.
These IBCLCs intensified their advocacy in partnership with UNICEF and DOH that culminated into a series of events stirring national and international attention on the hazards of formula feeding and the state of breastfeeding in the Philippines.
Some of these events include the:

Breaking of the Guinness World Record on Simultaneous Breastfeeding dubbed as Sabay-sabay, Sumuso sa Nanay with the City of Manila.
Establishment of Breastfeeding Stations at all SM malls in partnership with SM Supermalls.
Institutionalization of the celebration of World Breastfeeding Week in schools and health facilities in accordance with the international standards of ethics.
Conduct of Senate and Congress hearings on the violations of the laws that protect breastfeeding perpetrated by milk companies
Conduct of National Anti-Poverty Commission hearings and Presidential Cabinet meeting on Infant and Young Child Feeding policies and its effect on the economy.
Launching of the Department of Health’s Implementing Rules and Regulations of the laws that protect breastfeeding in Malacanang with photo exhibits of breastfeeding mothers.

To ensure the success of these events, the IBCLCs, held public consultations, gave lectures and speeches that made them realize the need to put up a training center and share their rich knowledge, skills and experience on breastfeeding promotion, protection and support at par with international standards and adapted to the Philippine situation.

The IBCLCs approached TESDA Director-General Secretary Augusto “Boboy” Syjuco who welcomed their idea and said that this project should be implemented urgently throughout the country. He immediately signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the IBCLCs establishing the Philippine Lactation Resource and Training Center at the TESDA Women’s Center. The initial batches of scholarships were jointly sponsored by UNICEF and TESDA.