The Employees’ Compensation Commission joins the celebration of the National Breastfeeding Awareness Month this August by officially unveiling its lactation lounge for their breastfeeding employees and clients.
ECC Executive Director Stella Zipagan-Banawis emphasized the importance of providing a facility, such as the lactation lounge, for working women to help them attain a work-life balance.
“The ECC encourages its employees to breastfeed their children up to two years and beyond for healthier lives, not only to the babies but to the mothers, as well,” Banawis said, “as reports showed that around 16,000 Filipino babies die every year directly due to the harmful effects of formula feeding.”
“However, there is an alarming drop in the number of mothers who breastfeed in the Philippines. Thus, various international and local organizations actively promote the reestablishment of breastfeeding. And ECC would like to support this advocacy by providing lactation stations to our breastfeeding mother employees,” Banawis stated.
Breastfeeding is the greatest gift a mother can give to her child. It provides initial immunization against illnesses and infections. If the baby is healthy, the mother can focus on her work and will have no reason to worry about the child.
The lactation lounge of the ECC is located at the 5th floor of the ECC Building Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City.