By Claro A. Lanipa
PAGADIAN CITY – To attain widespread
support to exclusive breastfeeding, an orientation on the Expanded
Breastfeeding Promotion Act otherwise known as Republic Act 10028 was held at
Hotel Guillermo in this city recently.
Spearheaded by the Nutrition Program Unit of the
Department of Health-Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD)-9 in coordination
with the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO), the activity sought to provide
“more detailed information on the provisions of the law and to educate the
public on the incentives given to compliant health facilities/establishments
and other institutions.
IPHO officer in-charge Dr. Rovel A. Blancia underscored
the importance of putting “more emphasis and more teeth to the law.”
“RA 10028 was enacted in 2009 but if you try to check
the establishments both private and public, this law was not yet fully
implemented,” she said.
“In fact, we have just started at our very own Zamboanga
del Sur Medical Center, which is now a Mother-Baby Friendly hospital,” Dr.
Blancia added.
Section 2 of RA 10028 states that “the state shall
protect working women by providing safe and healthful working conditions,
taking into account their maternal functions.”
Ms. Evelyn Capistrano, regional nutritionist and
mother-baby friendly coordinator, said the law requires all private and public health
and non-health facilities, establishments or institutions both to establish a
lactation stations in their respective workplaces.
The lactation station shall be adequately provided with
the necessary equipment and facilities such as: lavatory for hand washing,
refrigerator or appropriate cooling facilities for storing expressed breast milk,
electrical outlets for breast pumps, small table, comfortable seats and
logbook. “Said facility shall not be located in the toilet,” she said.
The law also provides incentives to all government and
private health institutions with rooming-in and breastfeeding practices.
Sanctions may also be imposed for non-compliance with
the law. “A maximum fine of P1 million and cancellation or revocation of the
business permits or license to operate shall be imposed on violators and for
health institutions, a reprimand or censure and/or suspension of the permit to
operate,” Capistrano pointed out. (PIA9)
