Love her or hate her, there is now at least one thing that President Arroyo has done right: signing the "Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009".
The new law mandates all government and private institutions to provide lactation rooms where working mothers can comfortably pump or express milk. It requires the rooms to come fully equipped with a sink for hand-washing, a refrigerator for storing expressed milk, electrical outlets for pumps, a small table, and comfortable seats. Tax incentives will be given out to establishments that provide a lactation station.
Furthermore, the law requires employers to grant breaks to breastfeeding employees to pump their milk -- at least 40 minutes for every 8-hour working period. Hooray for working moms who breastfeed!
It also aims to promote breastfeeding by integrating it into relevant subjects in the school curriculum. What a neat way to raise awareness about breastfeeding to children who otherwise have never been exposed to it! I know this from personal experience -- it probably wasn't a conscious decision at that time, but back in high school, when we were studying about diseases and antibodies in science class, I read in my science book that breastmilk contains live antibodies, and that whatever the mother is immune to, she can pass the immunity to her child through her breastmilk. I thought that was really amazing, and I immediately asked my mother whether I was breastfed. I was disappointed to hear her say no (I don't blame her, formula was -- and actually still is -- the norm. It was automatic, no need to think about breastfeeding vs formula), so I thought to myself that if I ever had a child I would breastfeed.
But, based on some of the inane comments left on the article, we've still got a long way to go in raising breastfeeding awareness. But at least this is a step in the right direction. According to Senator Pia Cayetano, who authored the law, "this is the 14th Congress' gift to all Filipino mothers on women's month."
The new law mandates all government and private institutions to provide lactation rooms where working mothers can comfortably pump or express milk. It requires the rooms to come fully equipped with a sink for hand-washing, a refrigerator for storing expressed milk, electrical outlets for pumps, a small table, and comfortable seats. Tax incentives will be given out to establishments that provide a lactation station.
Furthermore, the law requires employers to grant breaks to breastfeeding employees to pump their milk -- at least 40 minutes for every 8-hour working period. Hooray for working moms who breastfeed!
It also aims to promote breastfeeding by integrating it into relevant subjects in the school curriculum. What a neat way to raise awareness about breastfeeding to children who otherwise have never been exposed to it! I know this from personal experience -- it probably wasn't a conscious decision at that time, but back in high school, when we were studying about diseases and antibodies in science class, I read in my science book that breastmilk contains live antibodies, and that whatever the mother is immune to, she can pass the immunity to her child through her breastmilk. I thought that was really amazing, and I immediately asked my mother whether I was breastfed. I was disappointed to hear her say no (I don't blame her, formula was -- and actually still is -- the norm. It was automatic, no need to think about breastfeeding vs formula), so I thought to myself that if I ever had a child I would breastfeed.
But, based on some of the inane comments left on the article, we've still got a long way to go in raising breastfeeding awareness. But at least this is a step in the right direction. According to Senator Pia Cayetano, who authored the law, "this is the 14th Congress' gift to all Filipino mothers on women's month."
2 comments:
yehey good for me I'm a working mom who still breasfeeds my precious son
I hope your employer follows the new law! :)
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