Speaking out against the Monster Bill

I was interviewed in TV and radio some weeks ago to discuss why the proposed bill amending the Milk Code is NOT good.
At the top of my list was the removal of paid lactation breaks.  However, the Chief of Staff of Cong. Noel claims that this was an oversight.

Another Twitter uder anon69 also claims that this is an oversight, despite the fact that this came out in 3 different house bills which was consolidated. 

More than that, as I discussed in my previous posts, there are other provisions that compete with or will decrease breastfeeding rates in the Philippines.

Here are interviews where I shared why I am against the Monster Bill:





Meanwhile, my fellow breastfriends Ines and Judy were interviewed by ABS-CBN and you can watch their interviews here - http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/video/nation/metro-manila/08/16/12/breastfeeding-advocates-kill-milk-monster-bill#ooid=8yYmJuNTqopKA-aOtjOt0-As6me1Js_Q

Proponents claim that the purposes of the bill is to provide "informed choice".  How can informed choice be made when milk companies bombard consumers with misleading advertisements? The lure of billions of dollars to be made in the formula milk industry is too much to resist.  As emphasized in this article: 

In Asia, the Philippines is one of the largest markets for infant formula, and the likes of Nestle USA, Abbot, Wyeth and Mead Johnson all have significant sales in the country. Filipino mothers spend about US$469 million annually on infant formula, while multinational milk companies spent nearly $89 million on advertising - not inclusive of the travel, sponsorship and other perks they often provide to health professionals who promote their products. Statistics show the milk companies' advertisements have trumped UNICEF's public-service announcements. As of 2003, only 16% of the 2 million babies born in the country were exclusively breast-fed for at least four to five months. More recently, the Philippines had the lowest breast-feeding rate among 56 countries in a demographic health survey monitoring behaviors over the past 10 years. 

A perfect example of how milk companies advertise and market to the detriment of the Filipinos would be the film "Formula for Disaster".  I previously posted that clip and I am re-posting it again.



Do you really think that allowing advertisements by milk companies would lead to informed choice?