ILOILO City – The Sangguniang Panlungsod approved on first reading a proposed ordinance establishing the “Iloilo City Human Milk Bank”.
“Mayor Jerry Treñas is planning to have a city hospital. I think it is the best time, too, to have an ordinance creating a city breast milk bank,” proponent Councilor Candice Tupas said.
The milk bank may be set up in the proposed city hospital.
A medical doctor, Tupas said breast milk provides optimum nutrition to babies compared to formula milk.
Breastfeeding also strengthens the mother-baby bond, she stressed.
“As former chairperson of the Hospital and Sanitation Services and Health Committee, I know Iloilo City would fall short sa breastfeeding nutrition based on the Department of Health scorecard,” said Tupas.
She stressed the need to raise public awareness on the benefits of breastfeeding, most especially among breastfeeding mothers.
“They can donate sa aton proposed breast milk bank so they can help other mothers,” said Tupas.
A mother herself, Tupas revealed she breastfed all her children. She urged other mothers to do the same.
“It does not only save you money buying formula milk. It also strengths the bond between the mother and the baby and provides the baby optimum nutrition in times of pandemic,” said Tupas.
Mothers’ breastmilk have antibodies that protect babies from infections like pneumonia, diarrhea and sepsis.
August is Breastfeeding Month.
“Breastfeeding is the most complete and sustainable nutrition for the first six months of life, with continued benefits when done with complementary feeding for older infants and children. In this pandemic, mothers should not be worried about breastfeeding, as long as proper infection prevention and control measures are observed,” said Health secretary Francisco Duque III.
To date, DOH reports that COVID-19 has not been detected in the breastmilk of any mother confirmed or suspected of having the coronavirus.
This year’s Breastfeeding Month theme is “I-BIDA ang Pagpapasuso Tungo sa Wais at Malusog na Pamayanan!” It reinforces the importance of breastfeeding now because of the COVID-19 pandemic which poses a challenge to infant feeding.
In an advisory in May, the World Health Organization said “there is no reason to avoid or stop breastfeeding” since no transmission of the coronavirus through breast milk or breastfeeding had been detected so far./PN