CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (October 7) — A breastfeeding room means little if a mother cannot find it, access it or use it when she needs it.
Health officials are putting breastfeeding facilities in Northern Mindanao to the test, checking whether spaces set up for lactating mothers remain functional—not merely compliant on paper.
The Department of Health Center for Health Development-Northern Mindanao (DOH-10) Regional Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) Task Force inspected breastfeeding facilities in Misamis Occidental and Lanao del Norte from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1, including government offices, rural health centers and a transport hub.
The inspections covered compliance with Republic Act No. 10028, or the Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009, and Executive Order No. 51, the National Milk Code.
But the check goes beyond the presence of a designated room.
Nutritionist-Dietitian Stephanny C. Lim, DOH-10 IYCF coordinator, said the task force examines whether facilities have the necessary equipment, remain accessible and provide breastfeeding information and support.
Facilities with expired certifications may be reassessed for recertification, while those with valid certifications are still monitored to determine whether they continue to serve their purpose.
“Kung previously certified [ang facility] and nag-expire na ilang certification, atong i-certify based on our assessment. If wala pa nag-expire, ato lang gihapon i-monitor to find out kung functional pa ba siya, if wala na niya na-serve ang iyang purpose,” Lim said.
The message is clear: certification should not be the finish line.
A breastfeeding room has to work for the mothers it was created to serve.
Checking the places mothers actually use
In Misamis Occidental, inspectors visited breastfeeding spaces in government offices and rural health centers in Ozamiz and Oroquieta cities and the municipalities of Sinacaban, Plaridel, Concepcion and Baliangao.
The Ozamiz City airport was also inspected, recognizing that mothers may need a private and appropriate space while traveling with their babies.
In Lanao del Norte, the team checked facilities in Tubod, Lala, Matungao and Tagoloan.
The task force also assessed whether health workers, barangay health workers, barangay nutrition scholars and local government employees knew how to provide basic breastfeeding support.
This includes helping mothers with proper positioning and attachment, expressing and safely storing breast milk, cup feeding and common breastfeeding concerns, as well as explaining the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding.
For Lim, awareness is part of the service.
“Atong i-make sure nga kabalo ang community nga naay breastfeeding station ug kabalo sila nga pwede nila ni gamiton,” she said.
A facility cannot help a mother if she does not know it exists—or does not know that she is allowed to use it.
When breastfeeding meets the workday
The task force also inspected the Social Security System (SSS) branch in Iligan City as DOH-10 works to certify more offices as Mother-Baby Friendly Workplaces.
For working mothers, access to a proper breastfeeding space can be particularly important after returning to work.
SSS Iligan City Branch Head Jose Roel J. Herbieto said the facility is already being used by an employee who recently gave birth.
“Actually naa mi usa gani nga empleyado karon nga bag-o lang nanganak, mao iyang gamit. Mag-break siya to breastfeed, balik dayon sa trabaho inig human,” Herbieto said.
He said other SSS branches have visited the facility to learn from its practices.
The test is whether mothers benefit
DOH-10’s monitoring puts the focus where it belongs: on whether breastfeeding policies translate into something mothers can actually use.
That means keeping facilities functional, accessible and properly equipped—and ensuring that workers know how to support mothers rather than simply pointing them to a room.
The Regional IYCF Task Force will conduct its final monitoring visits in Misamis Oriental in early November.
It will review the year’s findings later that month, discuss policy recommendations and plan monitoring activities for 2027.
For Northern Mindanao’s breastfeeding mothers, however, the most important measure is much simpler:
When they need a place to breastfeed or express milk, is there one that actually works?
