Nona Andaya-Castillo, has dedicated her life in health communication focusing on safeguarding maternal and child health since 1997 and has helped hundreds of thousands of parents reach their infant and young child feeding goals.. She is the first and currently the only non-medical doctor in the Philippines who passed the accreditation for International Board Certified Lactation Consultant in 2004, an accreditation recognized by the US National Commission on Certifying Agencies since 1988.
A trailblazer, her national and international campaigns and projects established many FIRSTS in the Philippines that directly benefited hundreds of thousands of mother-child pairs. These projects broke the news blackout on breastfeeding that was on the brink of extinction in the Philippines (16% Exclusive Breastfeeding). At that time, many Filipino mothers were harassed when they nurse in public. Her events were featured in local and international media like BBC, Time Magazine, Reuters and AFP, with front-page news, TV and radio stations’ coverage during primetime hours and in more than 100 websites around the world.
She also promotes the consumption of indigenous fruits and vegetables to combat malnutrition and other indigenous nurturing practices. In 2011, with DOST Balik Scientist (Returning Scientist) and Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) Awardee, Dr. Custer Deocaris, Tessa Salazar and Aries Espinosa of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Nona spearheaded the Philippines’ Meatless Monday dubbed as Luntiang Lunes (Green Monday).
Nona belongs to the team that led the campaigns on breastfeeding. Fondly called “The Trinity” by “The Father”, Hilarion “Larry” Henares Jr. With “The Daughter”, Dr. Elvira L. Henares-Esguerra, and Nona as "The Holy Skeleton", bravely exposed the sale of four (4) million cans of possibly contaminated formula milk despite the possibility of murder and an offer of 200 million Philippine pesos from milk companies to their team.
A trailblazer, her national and international campaigns and projects established many FIRSTS in the Philippines that directly benefited hundreds of thousands of mother-child pairs. These projects broke the news blackout on breastfeeding that was on the brink of extinction in the Philippines (16% Exclusive Breastfeeding). At that time, many Filipino mothers were harassed when they nurse in public. Her events were featured in local and international media like BBC, Time Magazine, Reuters and AFP, with front-page news, TV and radio stations’ coverage during primetime hours and in more than 100 websites around the world.
She also promotes the consumption of indigenous fruits and vegetables to combat malnutrition and other indigenous nurturing practices. In 2011, with DOST Balik Scientist (Returning Scientist) and Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) Awardee, Dr. Custer Deocaris, Tessa Salazar and Aries Espinosa of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Nona spearheaded the Philippines’ Meatless Monday dubbed as Luntiang Lunes (Green Monday).
Nona belongs to the team that led the campaigns on breastfeeding. Fondly called “The Trinity” by “The Father”, Hilarion “Larry” Henares Jr. With “The Daughter”, Dr. Elvira L. Henares-Esguerra, and Nona as "The Holy Skeleton", bravely exposed the sale of four (4) million cans of possibly contaminated formula milk despite the possibility of murder and an offer of 200 million Philippine pesos from milk companies to their team.
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She conceptualized and organized the following events and projects with her team from 2005 to 2013 to promote, support and protect breastfeeding.
Promotion:
Protection
Other Activities on Breastfeeding Promotion, Protection and Support:
Her baptism of fire happened when she managed the rehabilitation of severely malnourished infants and children rescued by Bantay Bata (Child Watch) Center in December 1997, overseeing and assisting 21 wet-nurses in tandem breastfeeding the rescued infants as well as their own babies. Since then, she has counseled parents on infant and young childcare as well as help ill individuals heal from lifestyle diseases. Nona teaches earth-friendly parenting and lifestyle: natural family planning, joyful childbirth, extended breastfeeding, plant-based-nutrition and the Filipino nurturing practices using the latest evidence-based scientific information and adapting it in the Philippines’ unique culture especially in a resource-poor setting. Prior to this calling, Nona worked as an information and advocacy officer for several non-profit organizations after she graduated from the University of the Philippines Diliman in 1983 with a degree in Broadcast Communications. Before she focused on health communication, she promoted peasant, human rights, and disaster response issues. Her work involved public information dissemination, event organizing, media networking; volunteer organizing, fundraising and project monitoring and evaluation. Nona is a mother of a millennial and is wife of a mathematics and computer geek. The family has thrived on a plant-based diet since 1991. |
Awards
2019 Glory Awards - University of the Philippines Diliman College of Mass Communication Outstanding Alumna https://www.up.edu.ph/index.php/five-up-masscom-alumni-named-2019-glory-awardees/ www.rappler.com/bulletin-board/241198-awardees-glory-awards-2019 Grand Challenges Explorations – Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Project HiLLs: Hormones in Lactation and Lifestyles, November 2011 Read more Happiest Pinoy, Top 7 Grand Finalist 2010 Cebuana Lhuillier Insurance Solution http://www.happiest-pinoy.com/History.aspx https://www.philstar.com/good-news/551229/happiness-rejoicing-despite-suffering http://asianjournalusa.com/winston-maxino-happiest-pinoy-awardee-is-high-on-life-p8448-87.htm I Love Nature Parentin TV, 2010 Asian Fellow World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action Penang. Malaysia, November-December 2007 Gold Medal World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action Penang, Malaysia, November-December 2008 Guinness World Record on Simultaneous Breastfeeding in a Single Site, May 2006 Guinness World Record on Simultaneous Breastfeeding in Multiple Sites, may 2007 Guinness World Record on Simultaneous Tree-planting, October 2007 With High Honors Spelling Bee Champion, Provincial Level in Elementary and High School Best Cadette Colegio de San Pascual Baylon, Obando, Bulacan 1976-1979 |
