Proposed law to promote milk formula against mother's milk

The Department of Health (DOH) and United Nations agencies on Friday expressed alarm over

a new breastfeeding bill that seeks to overturn laws protecting consumers from misleading advertisements and aggressive marketing of formula milk.

In a joint statement, the DOH, World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) said that the breastfeeding bill will substantially change the contents of the Milk Code of 1986, the Expanded Breastfeeding Act of 2009, and the Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations of these laws.

Titled “An Act Promoting a Comprehensive Program on Breastfeeding Practices and regulating the Trade, Marketing and promotions of Certain Foods for Infants and Children,” the measure is the consolidated version of House Bills 3525, 3527, 3396, and 3537 filed by Representatives Magtanggol Gunigundo of Valenzuela City, Josephine Lacson-Noel of Malabon City, Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro City, Anna Bondoc of Pampanga province, Lani Mercado-Revilla of Cavite province and Lucy Torres-Gomez of Leyte province.

“The draft House bill is inappropriately named and aims to support multinational companies while damaging the Filipino society: families, the mothers and children,” the statement said.

The DOH, WHO and Unicef warned that the breastfeeding bill will narrow the application of the Milk Code only to artificial feeding products, such as formula milk, for the zero to six months instead of the current zero to 36 months.

The agencies also said that the measure will lift all restrictions on donations of breastmilk substitutes during disasters and emergencies even on normal conditions, make lactation breaks for working mothers unpaid, and allow samples of breast milk substitutes to be distributed in health care facilities.

They also charged that the measure will allow sales and marketing staff of milk companies to access health workers, and allow milk companies to conduct or be involved in breastfeeding, infant and young child health care and nutrition activities and materials.

The agencies said that 8,400 lives could be saved every year if every Filipino family with infants and small children would practice optimal breastfeeding as it prevents many illnesses such neonatal sepsis (a blood infection of newborns), diarrhea, pneumonia, necrotizing enterocolitis (a life-threatening problem of the gut of pre-term babies), ear infections, skin allergies, sudden infant death syndrome, childhood asthma, diabetes type 1, and childhood obesity.

“The DOH, WHO, and Unicef call on legislators and the public to understand how devastating the passage of the consolidated bill will be,” the statement said. “Delayed action may turn the Philippines backwards while neighboring countries in the region are passing stricter regulations on marketing. New legislation should reduce gaps, not enlarge them. Do not allow industry profits to overpower the health of children.”