BONTOC, Mountain Province – The Bontoc Municipal Capitol has been granted accreditation by the Department of Health (DOH) as a Mother-Baby-Friendly Workplace, a manifestation of the Bontoc Local Government Unit’s (LGU’s) thrust in promoting breastfeeding practices and quality maternal services.
The Certificate of Accreditation was received by Bontoc Mayor Jerome “Chagsen” Tudlong, Jr., Municipal Health Officer Dr. Diga Kay Gomez, and Municipal Nutrition Action Officer Venous Faith Cofulan from Nutrition Program Coordinator Mary Diane Saong-Monte of the Provincial Health Office (PHO) and Development Management Officer IV Madelyn Tudlong of the DOH-Provincial Office during the Monday Flag Raising Ceremony on March 11, 2024, at the Bontoc Municipal Capitol grounds.
The Certificate of Accreditation is valid from December 11, 2023, until December 11, 2025, as the Bontoc LGU through the Municipal Health Office (MHO)/ Rural Health Unit (RHU) headed by Dr. Gomez successfully complied with the requirements of the Lactation Station in the Workplace assessment. The Lactation Station is located just below the Maternal Neonatal Child and Health Nutrition Room, First Floor of the Bontoc Municipal Capitol.
Per the record from the MHO, of the 249 employees of the Bontoc LGU, 153 are female. Of the total female employees, 159 of them are of reproductive age (15-49 years old). With this, lactating mothers who are working at the Bontoc Municipal Capitol and walk-in clients who are also having their babies’ breastfed are encouraged to make use of the Lactation Station.
This initiative of the Bontoc LGU through the MHO is in support of Republic Act 10028 or the Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009. It encourages lactating employees to continue exclusive breastfeeding for six months and to continue breastfeeding until two years and beyond.
Health officials have always been campaigning for exclusive breastfeeding for six months explaining that breastmilk is easily digested by babies, has antibodies, and has the right amount of nutrients which are very critical for infants, and it also helps the mothers reduce their risk of cancer and helps in post-pregnancy weight loss. By Alpine L. Killa-Malwagay
