RP's first human milk bank opened in Makati

Some 200 mothers trooped to the Guadalupe Nueva barangay hall in Makati City to donate their milk at the launch of the first Philippine milk bank.

The milk collected from each mother was stored in a sterilized container, transferred to a cooler and sent to the Dr. Jose Fabella Memorial Hospital in Sta. Cruz, Manila. The hospital maintains a milk bank which has pasteurizing equipment and three freezers that can preserve the milk for up to six months. 

Sen. Pia Cayetano, who led the launch of the milk bank, said the milk will be given to newborn babies who are too weak to suck due to prematurity or congenital diseases, as well as babies whose mothers could not immediately breastfeed because of complications such as hypertension or diabetes.  

"The idea is to tell moms who are breastfeeding to take it a step forward, to help other moms who cannot immediately breastfeed," said Cayetano, chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography.

The setting up of human milk banks in hospitals is part of the Senate Bill 1698, also known as the "Expanded Breastfeeding Act," which has already passed the third and final reading.
 
The bill also encourages the establishment of lactation stations in public places and private and government offices to allow mothers to continue breastfeeding once they return to work after giving birth.