Consultation on Exclusive Breastfeeding conducted in Zamboanga City

The participants :  Barangay Health Workers,
Barangay Nutrition Scholars and Vendors

Sept. 23, 2010, Lantaka Hotel, Zamboanga City

     Thirty eight (38) workers from the informal sector and two (2) from the formal labor were consulted on "Developing Intervention on Exclusive Breasfeeding in the Informal Sector" in Zamboanga City. The informal sector were representatives of organizations of barangay health workers, barangay nutrition scholars, tri-wheels and vendors, all based in Zamboanga City. It was a very promising activity which proved that there is really the need to put up lactation stations in informal workplaces like transportation terminals, public markets and even in health centers . 

From the transport group mobilized by CM Bong Amarille
who is also the Vice-President for Mindanao of ALLWIE/S.

    

     This event is under the United Nations Country Team (UNCT) and the Government of the Philippines implementation of the Joint Program on "Ensuring Food Security and Nutrition for Children 0-24 months with support from the Spanish Government through the MDG Achievement Fund. Under this Programme, the International Labour Organization (ILO) a specialized UN agency aims to strengthen government mechanisms to promote exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) in the workplace, and develop models of EBF intervention in the informal workplaces in three cities :  Iloilo, Zamboanga and Naga.



Susanita "Babes" Tesiorna, President of ALLWIE/Sexplained the
magnitude of the informal sector,the mandate of NAPC, the national
situationer of the mothers breastfeeding including the myths, the advantages
of mother's milk,  and  emphasized the need to support the mothers
breastfeeding especially from 0-6 months of her baby. 





     The members of the Sub-Technical Working Group on EBF are : International Labour Organization, Department of Labor, National Anti-Poverty Commission-Workers in the Informal Sector, Alliance of Workers in the Informal Economy/Sector (ALLWIES), Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP), Federation of Free Workers, Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP), and UNICEF.