Fayette C. Riñen
CEBU, June 30 (PIA) – In order to further strengthen
the advocacy on the exclusive practice of breastfeeding for six months, the
National Nutrition Council (NNC-7) said it is pushing for priority seats for
breastfeeding mothers in public buses and passenger ships.
Dr. Parolita Mission, regional program
coordinator of the National Nutrition Council (NNC-7), said it is
campaigning for the first two seats of public buses to be priority space given
to breastfeeding mothers.
“There are already priority seats for persons
with disability in public bus so we are also pushing for priority seats to
breastfeeding moms,” said Mission.
According to Mission, in Region 12 and Cagayan
de Oro City, public buses now have priority seats for nursing mothers as she
advocates for a similar set up in Central Visayas.
The NNC-7 program coordinator likewise said she
is pushing for the same in passenger sea vessels.
“Nursing mothers need a private space in public
for them to breastfeed their babies,” said Mission on her campaign.
In order to ensure the mental and physical
health of their baby, the NNC-7 said nursing mothers need to breastfeed their
baby for an exclusive six-month period or 180 days. Breast milk has colostrum
which contains antibodies that can protect babies against disease.
Mission said Central Visayas already ranked
third among all regions in the country with the highest number of months in
breastfeeding practice with an average of 4.4 months.
“Though, we haven’t yet attained the ideal
exclusive six months breastfeeding practice, we are slowly gaining ground,”
said Mission adding that pushing for the campaign for priority seats in public
buses and passenger boats can make a big difference.
Meanwhile, over 50 percent of major public
markets and bus terminals in the region have set up a lactating station, said
Mission as she lauded local chief executives for this move.
Mission expressed hopes that big companies can
establish its own lactating station in the workplace as required under RA 10028
or the Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009.
On July, the country celebrates the National
Nutrition Month under the theme "Baby’s First 1,000 Days Pahalagahan Para
sa Malusog na Kinabukasan.” (rmn/fcr/PIA7)