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Elvira L. Henares-Esguerra, MD, FPDS, FABM, RPh
Fellow, Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (2009-present) International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (2004-2014) My Birthing and Breastfeeding Story |
Nona D. Andaya-Castillo
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (2004-2024) My Journey to Motherhood My Journey to Health and Wellness |
Breastfeeding Philippines: Our History
The Breastfeeding Clinic is managed by the Philippines's first International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs): Nona D. Andaya-Castillo, IBCLC, and Elvira L. Henares-Esguerra, MD, FPDS, FABM, RPh. They were breastfeeding mothers who believe in and practice exclusive breastfeeding beyond two years, complemented by indigenous foods from six months onwards.
Dr. Elvira is also a Fellow of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, an international medical group. Both have been internationally trained and accredited experts since 2000. Since 1997, Nona has helped and supported hundreds of thousands of mothers and babies in sustaining breastfeeding beyond two years. In 2001, she met Elvira, who was determined to breastfeed her third child. Nona helped Elvira achieve her breastfeeding goals, and in return, Elvira chose to support Nona’s advocacy efforts.
In August 2002, the advocates established the country's first Breastfeeding Clinic in a private hospital, offering classes and counseling services for the hospital's indigent patients. During the first class, 27 mothers from very poor communities attended, but only one was breastfeeding. The following week, that lone breastfeeding mother unnecessarily stopped due to a medication her doctor had prescribed.
The advocates realized that despite poverty, many mothers chose to feed their children with non-human milk, unaware of its harmful consequences on their children's health and well-being. Even when informed about the risks of non-human milk feeding, many mothers resorted to mixed feeding and, eventually, full non-human milk feeding due to a lack of social support, strong societal pressure, and misleading advertisements that convinced them that non-human milk was similar to mother's milk. At that time, the breastfeeding culture was on the verge of extinction!
The IBCLCs mobilized different sectors and government agencies and initiated the following:
Dr. Elvira is also a Fellow of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, an international medical group. Both have been internationally trained and accredited experts since 2000. Since 1997, Nona has helped and supported hundreds of thousands of mothers and babies in sustaining breastfeeding beyond two years. In 2001, she met Elvira, who was determined to breastfeed her third child. Nona helped Elvira achieve her breastfeeding goals, and in return, Elvira chose to support Nona’s advocacy efforts.
In August 2002, the advocates established the country's first Breastfeeding Clinic in a private hospital, offering classes and counseling services for the hospital's indigent patients. During the first class, 27 mothers from very poor communities attended, but only one was breastfeeding. The following week, that lone breastfeeding mother unnecessarily stopped due to a medication her doctor had prescribed.
The advocates realized that despite poverty, many mothers chose to feed their children with non-human milk, unaware of its harmful consequences on their children's health and well-being. Even when informed about the risks of non-human milk feeding, many mothers resorted to mixed feeding and, eventually, full non-human milk feeding due to a lack of social support, strong societal pressure, and misleading advertisements that convinced them that non-human milk was similar to mother's milk. At that time, the breastfeeding culture was on the verge of extinction!
The IBCLCs mobilized different sectors and government agencies and initiated the following:
- Senate and Congress hearings on the violations of the laws that protect breastfeeding perpetrated by milk companies (monitored since 1997)
- Participation in 2 National Anti-Poverty Commission hearings and a 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 Malacañang with photo exhibits of breastfeeding mothers
- Institutionalization of World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) celebration with Presidential Proclamation No. 1113 mandating government agencies, local government units (LGUs), schools and health facilities to observe international standard of ethics prohibiting milk company sponsorship
- Celebration of WBW in Malacañang from 2005-2009
- Simultaneous Breastfeeding in a Single Site and Multiple Sites within the Philippines
- Synchronized Breastfeeding Worldwide
- Establishment of Breastfeeding Stations in partnership with SM Supermalls serving thousands of mother-child pairs in all its malls throughout the country
- Mobilization of children to perform the Seven Acts of Kindness to Pregnant and Breastfeeding Mothers
Our institutionalization
To ensure the success of these events, the IBCLCs held public consultations, delivered lectures, and gave speeches, which led to the realization that a training center was needed to share their extensive knowledge, skills, and experience in breastfeeding promotion, protection, and support—aligned with international standards but adapted to the Philippine context.
The IBCLCs approached TESDA Director-General Secretary Augusto “Boboy” Syjuco, who embraced their idea and emphasized the urgent need for such a project nationwide. He quickly signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the IBCLCs, establishing the Philippine Lactation Resource and Training Center (PLRTC) at the TESDA Women’s Center. The initial batches of scholarships were jointly sponsored by UNICEF and TESDA. In 2007, the Department of Health officially recognized the Philippine Lactation Resource and Training Center as an institutional training partner and an accredited monitoring entity. In December 2012, the IBCLCs established their own office and renamed the project Breastfeeding Philippines.
Our Direction
When the IBCLCs started this campaign, they never knew that they would accomplish this much. They just held on to their dreams and worked hard despite many obstacles they never thought they would encounter and overcome. In 2007, when official funding from an international organization came to an end, they kept the faith that if God will close a window, He will open a door. Well, He opened many gates providing the IBCLCs’ organizations with additional partners and donors.
With these inroads of opportunities, Breastfeeding Philippines will continue its advocacy projects with more creativity and more partners. It will continue to conduct trainings to build an army of advocates, Code monitors, trained counselors, many of them breastfeeding mothers, through their online and actual courses in partnership with government and non-government organizations. Breastfeeding Philippines will also endeavor to conduct researches involving the academe, health professionals and social scientists in the very near future.
To ensure the success of these events, the IBCLCs held public consultations, delivered lectures, and gave speeches, which led to the realization that a training center was needed to share their extensive knowledge, skills, and experience in breastfeeding promotion, protection, and support—aligned with international standards but adapted to the Philippine context.
The IBCLCs approached TESDA Director-General Secretary Augusto “Boboy” Syjuco, who embraced their idea and emphasized the urgent need for such a project nationwide. He quickly signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the IBCLCs, establishing the Philippine Lactation Resource and Training Center (PLRTC) at the TESDA Women’s Center. The initial batches of scholarships were jointly sponsored by UNICEF and TESDA. In 2007, the Department of Health officially recognized the Philippine Lactation Resource and Training Center as an institutional training partner and an accredited monitoring entity. In December 2012, the IBCLCs established their own office and renamed the project Breastfeeding Philippines.
Our Direction
When the IBCLCs started this campaign, they never knew that they would accomplish this much. They just held on to their dreams and worked hard despite many obstacles they never thought they would encounter and overcome. In 2007, when official funding from an international organization came to an end, they kept the faith that if God will close a window, He will open a door. Well, He opened many gates providing the IBCLCs’ organizations with additional partners and donors.
With these inroads of opportunities, Breastfeeding Philippines will continue its advocacy projects with more creativity and more partners. It will continue to conduct trainings to build an army of advocates, Code monitors, trained counselors, many of them breastfeeding mothers, through their online and actual courses in partnership with government and non-government organizations. Breastfeeding Philippines will also endeavor to conduct researches involving the academe, health professionals and social scientists in the very near future.
