Legarda reaffirms support for breastfeeding, pushes Breast Milk Banking Act
August 20, 2025
Legarda reaffirms support for breastfeeding, pushes Breast Milk Banking Act
Senator Loren Legarda manifested her full support for the privilege speech of Senator Pia Cayetano on Tuesday, reaffirming her stance on the continuing need to protect and promote breastfeeding in the Philippines.
"Breastfeeding is a proven life-saving intervention. The World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF recommend initiating it within the first hour after birth, exclusively breastfeeding for the first six months, and continuing breastfeeding with complementary feeding up to two years or beyond," Legarda explained as she underscored the critical role of breastfeeding in safeguarding infants' health.
However, the 2023 National Nutrition Survey showed that only 61.2% of infants in the Philippines were breastfed within the first hour of life. Exclusive breastfeeding for infants under six months stood at just 50.4%. Even more concerning, 17.7% of infants received pre-lacteal feeds, such as formula or other liquids, shortly after birth—practices that compromise successful breastfeeding from the very start.
Legarda expounded that these figures reveal not only declining breastfeeding rates but also systemic gaps: inadequate workplace support for nursing mothers, limited and unevenly distributed milk banks, weak cold chain and inventory systems, and the absence of structured donor networks in many areas.
"To address these gaps, we need stronger policies, better coordination among agencies, and a culture that genuinely supports mothers and infants. Breastfeeding is not merely a personal choice; it is a shared responsibility that requires collective action from the government, communities, and workplaces," Legarda said.
Breast Milk Banking Act
"Breastfeeding is a natural right, not a luxury. Yet in times of crisis, too many mothers face impossible choices between safety and nourishing their babies," Legarda stated.
To address this gap, the four-term Senator filed Senate Bill No. 792, or An Act strengthening rooming-in, breastfeeding, and Breast Milk Banking practices in the Philippines, expanding and amending Republic Act No. 7600, otherwise known as the 'Rooming-in and Breastfeeding Act of 1992,' as amended by Republic Act No. 10028, and providing funds and mechanisms therefor.
The proposed bill will establish a National Breast Milk Banking Strategy, expand regional human milk bank units and satellite banks nationwide, mandate standardized safety protocols for collection, screening, and storage, and create a real-time online tracking system for efficient milk distribution.
This legislation ensures timely access to safe donor milk for premature and emergency-affected infants, representing a long-term investment in our children's health and nutrition.
"By institutionalizing breast milk banks, we can significantly boost exclusive breastfeeding rates and give every Filipino child a stronger start in life," Legarda added.
The Senator urged her colleagues, as the country observes August as Breastfeeding Awareness Month, to prioritize and pass the proposed bill, making breastfeeding support accessible and sustainable for all Filipinos.
Legarda inihayag ang suporta sa breastfeeding, itinutulak ang Breast Milk Banking Act
Inihayag ni Senadora Loren Legarda ang kanyang lubos na pagsuporta sa privilege speech ni Senadora Pia Cayetano nitong Martes, at binigyang-diin ang patuloy na pangangailangang protektahan at itaguyod ang pagpapasuso o breastfeeding sa Pilipinas.
"Ang breastfeeding ay napatunayang life-saving na interbensyon. Inirerekomenda ng World Health Organization (WHO) at UNICEF ang pagsisimula sa unang oras pagkasilang, eksklusibong pagpapasuso sa loob ng unang anim na buwan, at pagpapatuloy kasama ang complementary feeding hanggang sa ikalawang taon o higit pa," paliwanag ni Legarda habang binibigyang-diin ang kritikal na papel ng pagpapasuso sa kalusugan ng mga sanggol.
Gayunman ayon sa 2023 National Nutrition Survey, 61.2% lamang ng mga sanggol sa Pilipinas ang napapasuso sa unang oras ng kanilang buhay. Samantala, ang eksklusibong pagpapasuso para sa mga sanggol na wala pang anim na buwan ay nasa 50.4% lamang. Higit pang nakababahala ang datos na 17.7% ng mga sanggol ang nakatanggap ng pre-lacteal feeds gaya ng formula o ibang likido agad pagkatapos ng kanilang kapanganakan—mga gawain na nakakaapekto sa matagumpay na pagpapasuso mula sa simula.
Ipinahayag ni Legarda na ipinapakita ng mga datos na ito hindi lamang ang pagbaba ng rate ng pagpapasuso kundi pati na rin ang mga sistemikong kakulangan: hindi sapat ang suporta sa mga nagtatrabahong ina na nagpapasuso, limitado at hindi pantay ang distribusyon ng mga milk bank, mahina ang cold chain at inventory systems, at kakulangan ng organisadong donor networks sa maraming lugar.
"Upang matugunan ang mga puwang na ito, kailangan natin ng mas mahigpit na polisiya, mas maayos na koordinasyon sa pagitan ng mga ahensya, at isang kultura na tunay na sumusuporta sa mga ina at sanggol. Ang pagpapasuso ay hindi lamang personal na pagpili; ito ay kolektibong responsibilidad na nangangailangan ng pagkilos mula sa pamahalaan, komunidad, at mga lugar ng trabaho," ayon kay Legarda.
Breastmilk Banking Act o Batas sa Pagbabangko ng Gatas ng Ina
"Ang pagpapasuso ay likas na karapatan, hindi luho. Ngunit sa oras ng krisis, maraming ina ang nahaharap sa imposibleng pagpili sa pagitan ng kaligtasan at pagpapalusog sa kanilang mga sanggol," dagdag ni Legarda.
Upang tugunan ang puwang na ito, naghain si Legarda ng Senate Bill No. 792, o ang Act strengthening rooming-in, breastfeeding, and Breast Milk Banking practices in the Philippines, expanding and amending Republic Act No. 7600, otherwise known as the 'Rooming-in and Breastfeeding Act of 1992,' as amended by Republic Act No. 10028, and providing funds and mechanisms therefor.
Itinataguyod ng panukala ang: paglikha ng National Breast Milk Banking Strategy; pagpapalawak ng regional human milk bank units at satellite banks sa buong bansa; pagsasakatuparan ng standardized safety protocols para sa koleksyon, screening, at pag-iimbak ng gatas; at pagbuo ng real-time online tracking system para sa mas mahusay na distribusyon.
Sinisiguro ng batas na ito ang agarang accesa sa ligtas na donor milk para sa mga premature at mga emergency-affected infants—isang pangmatagalang pamumuhunan sa kalusugan at nutrisyon ng ating mga anak.
"Sa pamamagitan ng institusyonal na pagbabangko ng gatas ng ina, maaari nating itaas nang malaki ang rate ng eksklusibong pagpapasuso at mabigyan ang bawat batang Pilipino ng mas matibay na panimula sa buhay," ani Legarda.
Hinihimok ng Senadora ang kanyang mga kapwa mambabatas, habang inaalala ng bansa ang Agosto bilang Breastfeeding Awareness Month, na unahin at ipasa ang panukalang batas upang gawing accessible at sustainable ang suporta sa pagpapasuso para sa lahat ng Pilipino.
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