Schools establish breastfeeding corner

MAASIN CITY – All public secondary and elementary schools in Southern Leyte have established breastfeeding corner in support of the Expanded Breastfeeding Act, the Department of Education division office said.

The compliance of schools is very commendable according to Dr. Consolacion Ruflo, chief of DepEd Southern Leyte medical office.

All 39 public secondary schools and 296 elementary schools in the province have their breastfeeding corner as of January 2012.

“We sent a memorandum to all schools in the Southern Leyte to designate breastfeeding place. It’s easy for schools to identify breastfeeding corners since they all have school clinics,” Ruflo said.

In Maasin Central School in Barangay Tunga-Tunga, mothers with small children on their lap are a common scene in this school surrounded by urban area. They are waiting for the end of the day’s class to ensure that kids will get home safe.

“Mothers have to bring babies and small children since nobody is at home to take care of them. We offer a small room in our clinic for lactating mothers. They are free to express their milk in a private place while waiting,” said school nurse Jennifer Basco.

Within the first quarter of 2012, the provincial health office will issue a memorandum urging provincial offices to set up breastfeeding centers in their respective buildings.

“We have been advocating to provincial offices that they have to set aside room for breastfeeding mothers for privacy purposes but we have to put this into writing,” Provincial Nutrition Action Officer Dr. Noel Lumen said.

In 2011, the provincial nutrition committee conducted orientations on lactation management training for hospital personnel, nursing students, barangay health workers, and barangay nutrition scholars. (Leyte Samar Daily Express)