ILOILO City – Around 100 mothers from Iloilo City and the province will breastfeed their infants simultaneously in a public space this Saturday, August 15, in a collective push to eliminate the lingering stigma surrounding breastfeeding outside the home.
The one-minute simultaneous latching will highlight the 12th “Hakab Na! Iloilo” at GT Town Center in Pavia, Iloilo as part of the observance of National Breastfeeding Awareness Month.
Atty. Jomele Gangoso-Caceres, activity facilitator and an original member of advocacy group Breastfeeding Ilonggas, said the gathering seeks to affirm that breastfeeding is a natural act of feeding a child and should never be viewed as indecent, sexual or malicious.
“Ang goal sang Hakab Iloilo is first to celebrate the National Breastfeeding Awareness Month and to gather breastfeeding mothers in the city and province of Iloilo. The second goal is to normalize breastfeeding in public. Indi sia tani pag-i-lantawon sang public as a sexual activity or malicious activity kay after all it’s a natural way of feeding our newborns,” Caceres said.
The event will also remind breastfeeding mothers that they have a support network to help them overcome the difficulties and inconveniences they may encounter throughout their breastfeeding journey.
Caceres said mothers breastfeeding in public are not always confronted verbally, but some still experience uncomfortable stares and disapproving facial expressions from bystanders.
“Not verbally, pero ina bala sa facial expression, tulukon ka. Kay usually daw wala man sang naga-voice out sang concern, but it’s the stare,” she said.
However, Caceres noted that reports of mothers being confronted or made to feel violated for breastfeeding in public have become increasingly rare.
“May ara gid mothers nga naga-breastfeed in public, covered or uncovered and lately daw wala kami nakit-an nga report nga they were self-violated because gin-call out sila kay nag-breastfeed sila in public,” she added.
This year’s event carries the theme, “Breastfeeding for a Sustainable Start in Life: Strengthen What Works,” underscoring the need for families, communities, healthcare providers and government institutions to support breastfeeding mothers.
“More than just nourishment, breastfeeding is the bedrock from which healthy growth and development stem, helping infants achieve all their milestones. It also fosters a meaningful bond between the mother and child. But breastfeeding is not solely a mother’s responsibility — it calls for the support of the family, the community, the healthcare system, and even the governing bodies that strengthen policies,” Hakab Na! Iloilo said in a statement posted on its official Facebook page.
The 2026 gathering is being organized in partnership with the Asian Medical Students’ Association of West Visayas State University and the Philippine Pediatric Society-Western Visayas.
The first Hakab Na! Iloilo was held at the Iloilo Provincial Capitol lobby on August 2, 2014. It opened with a one-minute simultaneous breastfeeding activity led by 43 mothers and drew support from 1,354 breastfeeding women across the province.
Participation and institutional support grew in the succeeding years as more mothers embraced breastfeeding advocacy. The event shifted online for three years during the COVID-19 pandemic but has since regained momentum through in-person gatherings.
Beyond promoting breastfeeding in public, the initiative educates mothers, including teenagers, about its lifelong benefits and encourages them to persevere despite the challenges they face./PN
