WORKING mothers always feel torn about wanting to breastfeed their babies and having to be at the workplace 8 to 5. They cannot bring their children to work, much less breastfeed in plain sight of co-workers.

Luckily, for women employees of the Tagum Agricultural Development Co. (Tadeco) Inc. in Panabo City, this dilemma is a thing of the past.

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Tadeco has its own Breastfeeding Center at the Antonio O. Floirendo Hospital, proximate to its central offices inside the plantation.

It was built a few months after the Department of Health (DOH) sent out the National Policy on Infant and Young Child Feeding in 2007, asking for "workplaces to provide an enabling environment for breastfeeding mothers and especially those that return to work."

I went to Tadeco to see for myself their Breastfeeding Center, which I have heard was cited by DOH as the country's first inside a plantation. A representative from the World Health Organization, Alex Iellano, even came to witness its launching in 2007, along with DOH Assistant Secretary David Lozada and Regional Director Dr. Paulyn Rosell-Ubial.

Crizenda Dagpin, breastfeeding station coordinator and the hospital’s nutritionist-dietician, showed me the Breastfeeding Room, equipped with comfortable sofas, a crib, water station, a refrigerator that serves as Milk Bank, and a bed for napping tots and mothers who want to breastfeed lying down.

It was big enough to accommodate over a dozen women, and should space become scarce, the Advocacy Room, where they hold seminars and lectures, can be a suitable extension. Next to this is the Breastfeeding Community Support Group Office where meetings of the BHWs or the officers of the center are held.

Crizenda told me that since female employees go back to their workplaces after expressing milk or breastfeeding their babies (who are then cared for by their nannies or watchers), the center was made open to other women in the barangay.

True enough, I talked with Yvonne, who brought her 5-month old daughter from home several kilometres away. "Kapag andito kami sa Tadeco para magpa-immunize o bumili sa tindahan, may napupuntahan kami ng anak ko na komportable para magpadede," she said.

Her sentiments were echoed by Marites, Neriluz, and Elenita, all wives of Tadeco employees like her, who said they were also taught the merits of breastfeeding, the correct way to breastfeed, and even livelihood projects.

Crizenda herself was able to breastfeed her child at the center.
"The breastfeeding station is a big help not only to us working mothers, but most especially to our children, who grow up healthy," she remarked.

At present, there are about 66 lactating women among the female employees of Tadeco, and almost a hundred more are soon-to-be mothers. All of them are expected to benefit from the Breastfeeding Center, as well as other mothers in the community.

I saw photos showing dozens of mothers breastfeeding during DSWD's 2007 campaign for simultaneous breastfeeding all over the country. In the region, the only company that participated was Tadeco.

I also read last Saturday the Sun.Star profile on Ma. Enone Gabac dela Cueva of Barangay A.O. Floirendo, who beat more than 22,000 people nationwide to win the "2009 National Outstanding Barangay Nutrition Scholar." She attributes her and her barangay's achievement of a healthy community to the commitment of Barangay Capt. Mike Niez and the steadfast support of Tadeco and the A.O. Floirendo Foundation.

It then crossed my mind that the company supported all these efforts because they were committed towards the overall quality of life of their thousands of workers and the many communities surrounding them.

The Breastfeeding Center is only one of the many ways they manifest their corporate social responsibility, which has been in action many years before.
I looked at the mothers cuddling their babies at the breastfeeding station, and the little ones happily ensconced at their bosoms. Lucky mothers, lucky babies. After all, not all companies are of the same calibre as Tadeco.

As my vehicle drove out of the plantation gates, the security guard politely gave us a salute of farewell. I brought two fingers to the side of my forehead in imitation, and in my mind, saluted the Tadeco management for taking the extra mile for its employees.