World Vision and DOH partner to strengthen implementation of Philippine Milk Code

Carleneth San Valentin, World Vision Health and Nutrition Technical Manager 

The international humanitarian organization World Vision and the Department of Health signed a memorandum of agreement that formalized their partnership in the Mother-Baby Friendly Philippines (MBFP) project. The Ceremonial Contract Signing, World Vision aims to strengthen the monitoring and compliance to Executive Order 51 (Philippine Milk Code of 1986) by officially launching reporting channels in partnership with Department of Health.

This October 6, 2017 held at Luxent Hotel, Quezon City,  the simple ceremony were attended by DOH Sec. Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial, DOH undersecretaries and assistant secretaries, World Vision National Director Rommel Fuertes and World Vision Health and Nutrition Technical Manager Carleneth San Valentin. The local chief executives of the project’s pilot sites – Malabon, Manila, and Quezon City – also graced the event with their presence.

World Vision launched the Crowd-Based Monitoring of Milk Code Compliance (CMMCC) project, otherwise known as Mother-Baby Friendly Philippines last November 2016. 

The project aims to improve the implementation of Executive Order (EO) 51, also known as the Philippine Milk Code of 1986, and its revised Implementing Rules and Regulations and Republic Act (RA) No. 10028, by encouraging crowd-sourced monitoring and by developing reporting channels where the public can report non-compliance to the mentioned laws.

EO 51 seeks to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding, and to regulate the marketing of breast milk substitutes, breast milk supplements, and other related products. RA No. 10028 or the Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009, on the other hand, aims to uphold breastfeeding in the workplace by requiring companies and establishments to put up lactation stations and to provide breastfeeding breaks to lactating moms.

The MBFP project committee, recognizing accessibility as a necessity in achieving its goal, officially launched three new reporting channels for the public: 

• Mother-Baby Friendly Philippines website
• Mother-Baby Friendly Philippines mobile application
• Mother-Baby Friendly Philippines SMS or texting mechanism

As a breastfeeding advocate, World Vision supports and promotes exclusive breastfeeding (a steady diet of breast milk only) for the first six months of an infant’s life, and then continued breastfeeding with complementary food until the child reaches at least two years of age, to ensure healthy growth and development.