The ties that bind

It’s an open secret the US is a strong ally of the Philippines, but will the relationship stand the test of adversity?

Definitely, according to Philex Mining chairman and CEO Manny V. Pangilinan, who noted in his speech during the recently-launched US-Philippines Society (USPS) that the ties between the two countries are strong but not immune to trials.

Pangilinan is co-chair of the USPS - a private, non-profit organization whose primary purpose is to boost economic, trade and investment prospects between the two countries as well as strengthen cultural, educational and people-to-people ties - with former US Ambassador to the Philippines John Negroponte.

“In current times, that friendship can again be tested. There are pre-eminent strategic concerns on the bilateral agenda such as trade, terrorism, and foreign policy – in particular, the imperatives of clarity and cooperation in developing potential hydrocarbon resources in the South China Sea – or as we call it, the West Philippine Sea. I should know – our petroleum survey ship got spooked last year while conducting seismic work off Recto Bank,” MVP said.

Coming from a well-respected businessman in the country, his words certainly served as a strong dose of reality not just for the local business and government sector but also for US stakeholders. The USPS is a landmark “coming-together” of equally renowned business entities and personalities from both countries.

As one of the more powerful and influential business personalities in the Philippines, MVP has the wherewithal to regard USPS as a key factor in transforming the longstanding US-Philippines relationship into a more profitable one, an initiative designed to encourage greater commercial ties, good governance both in government and the corporate sector and strengthen cultural, educational, and people-to-people linkages.

As MVP pointed out in his speech, the US-Philippines relationship was forged not out of war, but in trade after all.

“Many hold the notion that our relationship began in war – born in battle and with blood – in the Battle of Manila Bay in 1898. Quite the contrary, our bilateral began in peaceful and fruitful trade, more than a century earlier, in May of 1797,” he noted.

With no less than MVP himself leading the Philippine side of the USPS, one can only conclude that the political and economic ties between Americans and Filipinos will continue to be sturdy – unbreakable even – in the face of global and economic challenges.

The silent majority

There is no denying that breast milk is the best source of nutrition for babies. Although this is the case, it is commonplace in many poverty-stricken areas in the country for infants to be given food not sourced from their mothers’ breast. These mothers who juggle their time among the upkeep of the household, rearing their children and helping to provide for the family’s daily expenses, are looked down upon for their alleged lack of judgment in providing the best nutrition for their children.

With its mission of empowering all women to make educated choices when it comes to health, the 9,000 - strong grassroots women’s group Kayang-Kaya ni Misis or KKM shows the plight of this silent majority of mothers who believe that access to information is still key. Like them, there are numerous women’s group out there who recognize that central to maternal and infant health is not only the mother’s freedom to choose the method of feeding, but largely the ability to make a choice based on proper information and education.

I had the opportunity to sit down with mothers from KKM. While they may face castigation for not being able to breastfeed their child up to two years, there is a need to be more open-minded about the choice Filipina mothers make for the health of their children. This is especially true with the battle against infant and young child malnutrition raging on and the looming controversy around the Milk Code.

Imelda, a member of KKM, breastfed all her four children for at least six months before switching to complementary feeding. “All my children are healthy, active, and all are honor students in school,” she proudly remarked.

However, she stressed that she is not in favor of breastfeeding until two years. “It’s different for the mother’s body, and we have to get back to work,” Imelda explained.

Like Imelda, many mothers in KKM support exclusive breastfeeding until six months, but fail to exclusively breastfeed until the infant’s second year due to the pressing need to return to work.

Weng shares that she exclusively breastfed one of her children for six months, after which she resorted to infant formula and complementary feeding at the advice of her mother. She was, however, unable to breastfeed her second child for more than a month because of the need to work to help pay for their expenses.

“My husband favors actually breast milk because it costs nothing but I had to start working again to help pay for our basic needs,” Weng said.

Imelda and Weng are just two of the many mothers who, though in favor of breastfeeding their children, cannot do so because of one of the harsh realities of life in the Philippines: poverty. Stripped of cash, these mothers do not have the luxury of buying breast pumps or storage materials that allow mothers to work while supplying their children with expressed breast milk. They also do not work for employers who have the capability to buy breast milk storage equipment.

Yoly, on the other hand, firmly believes in the merits of breastfeeding, but was faced with a problem which prevented her from breastfeeding her identical twins. “I had no milk at all, not even during the first hour [of giving birth],” she said. Yoly explained that she has exhausted all means, from taking medicines and malunggay capsules to taking hilot and drinking sabaw.

KKM secretary-general Erlinda Macatunao agrees that women, especially the young mothers, need more information regarding not only breastfeeding but also all the possible ways to maintain the health of their children.

“As a mother, I would encourage all mothers to breastfeed because of its nutritional value. It’s just that so many are unaware of the benefits of doing so,” Macatunao said.

“I hope that every barangay initiates an information dissemination project on breastfeeding,” said another KKM member and just one of the many mothers clamoring for an opportunity to know their options and make informed choices based on what is best for their health and that of their children.

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