House panel approves breastfeeding bill for plenary debate

MANILA, Philippines - The House committee on health has approved for plenary deliberation a measure promoting awareness on breastfeeding for Filipino women.

Pampanga Rep. Anna York Bondoc, principal author of House Bill 3083, said the measure seeks to promote and support breastfeeding as an essential component of family planning and responsible parenthood.

“It is clear that a targeted and specific information and awareness campaign on breastfeeding and infant nutrition, alongside that of family planning and responsible parenthood aimed at couples intending to be married, becomes critical and imperative for the future of the country,” Bondoc said.

The bill to be known as the “Family Support for Breastfeeding Act” seeks to amend Presidential Decree 965 requiring couples applying for a marriage license to include breastfeeding and infant nutrition in their family planning and responsible parenthood seminar.

She cited the 2002 Global Strategy on Infant and Young Child Feeding (Global Strategy) developed jointly by the World Health Organization and United Nations Children’s Educational Fund, which recommends that all infants zero to six months should be exclusively breastfed until two years old and even beyond.

“The United Nations Children’s Educational Fund has found that a breastfed child is three times more likely to survive infancy than one not breastfed,” Bondoc said.

Under the bill, no marriage license shall be issued by the Local Civil Registrar unless the applicants present a certificate of compliance issued by the Family Planning Officer certifying that they had duly received comprehensive instructions and information on family planning, responsible parenthood, breastfeeding and infant nutrition.

“The seminar and the certificate of compliance shall be issued free of charge,” Bondoc said.

The bill mandates the Departments of Health and Social Welfare and Development and the Population Commission to furnish every family planning office in the country with proper information and resources, to be updated on current studies and research relating to family planning, responsible parenthood, breastfeeding and infant nutrition.

The bill allows the family planning offices in all local government units to require the assistance of volunteer medical doctors, nurses and other licensed health professionals or health care workers to assist in the information campaign.