TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan - - Department of Health – Center for Health Development Region 2 (DOH-CHD 2) stressed that no donations of infant formula milk during disaster eventualities are accepted or fed to infants.

Carol Jean Domingo, nutritionist and dietician, said the Milk Code or Executive Order 54 provides that donations of products covered by the law including infant formula, bottles and teats are not allowed, hence, acceptance of said items specially during emergencies are prohibited.

“We observed that during calamities, there are many donations including formula milk, especially from foreign donors. We stress that it is not accepted as we want to protect the health and nutrition of infants for they are the most vulnerable individuals during state of emergencies,” Domingo said.

On her part, Nutrition program coordinator Rhodora Maestre explained that the government advocates for breastfeeding as it is the best milk for babies to sustain their good nutrition and provide nutrients needed for their growth and development.

She also emphasized that there are no excuses that mothers could not provide breast milk to their babies because every female individual, even old aged, are capable of producing milk for their babies.

“The only excuse we accept is the case wherein mothers are diagnosed as HIV/AIDS positives but still they are given the option to breastfeed their babies, if not the nutritionists must look for breast milk donors but not to allow infant formula intake to the infant,” Maestre and Domingo jointly discussed during explained with media during Nutrition Month Observance kick-off ceremony.

Maestre further said they are conducting training on infant and young child feeding to capacitate community health teams of the barangays and LGUs to be able to accurately respond to the nutrition needs of vulnerable sectors during calamities, especially those who will be rescued and evacuated. (OTB-PIA2/Cagayan)