FIRST DISTRICT – In time for Women’s Month Celebration this year, Congressman Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr. filed House Bill No. 8811 on March 30, 2026, which mandates the establishment of lactation (breastfeeding) stations in Rural Health Units (RHU) and Barangay Health Centers (BHC), and providing for human milk banks meeting standards by the Department of Health (DOH).
Under HB 8811, lactation stations shall be established by all Local Government Units in RHUs and BHCs to provide private, clean, and accessible areas conducive for nursing mothers to feed their children. Notably, the lactation stations shall not be located in the toilet, and the LGUs may provide additional suitable amenities subject to DOH standards.
Likewise, HB 8811 mandates the establishment of human ‘milk banks’ in RHUs and BHCs; provided that no human milk bank shall operate unless accredited or licensed by the DOH, in accordance with standards set in R.A. 10028 or the Expanded Breastfeeding Promotion Act of 2009.
“Despite existing laws and initiatives, breastfeeding support remains uneven at the primary care level. As frontline community health facilities, RHUs and BHCs should be equipped with the appropriate facilities,” Lazatin explained.
During Lazatin’s time as Angeles City Mayor, the Angeles LGU established the first-ever breastfeeding station inside the Angeles City Hall on March 30, 2023, under the supervision of then Executive Assistant IV Reina Manuel and then Gender and Development Officer-in-Charge Mina Cabiles.
It can be recalled that on October 28, 2025, Lazatin also filed House Bill No. 5702, which seeks to include mammography services in public hospitals and examinations for breast cancer in rural health centers.
HB 5702 mandates the provision of mammography services, either annually or as medically necessary, in qualified public hospitals and in coordination with the DOH.
Further, it mandates that regular monthly breast examinations be provided by qualified medical practitioners assigned to every rural health center.
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