Hakab Na! 2015

This August, the Philippines will be celebrating with the rest of the world the International Breastfeeding Month (locally known as National Breastfeeding Awareness Month). The central message for this year is “Breastfeeding and Work: Let’s make it work!”.

KAYA, founder of the 50,000 member online group called Breastfeeding Pinays, is passionate in helping Filipina mothers succeed in giving the best nutrition for their child no matter what circumstance they are in. Every mother, whether stay at home, work at home, or working, CAN breastfeed their children. They are passionate about giving mothers the freedom to exercise their full rights to breastfeed as we celebrate HAKAB NA! (Filipino translation of “Latch now!”).

Now on its third year, Hakab Na! 2015 will gather breastfeeding families, lactation experts, peer counselors, and breastfeeding advocacy supporters, who all aim to boost awareness of the health and economic benefits of breastfeeding, promote the importance of providing proper support to breastfeeding mothers, and ultimately, create a breastfeeding nation. It will be held on August 1, 2015 (Saturday) at 500 Shaw Centrum, Shaw Blvd., Mandaluyong City.

Central to this celebration is the act of mothers simultaneously breastfeeding their children as part of The Big Latch On, an international activity where mothers latch on their babies from different locations around the world to create a world record.

In 2014, the Philippines logged a total of 1,772 mom-and-baby pairs breastfeeding in Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Manila, and Iloilo.

This year’s Hakab Na! will be bigger with additional locations in Alabang, Aklan, Baguio-Benguet, Bulacan, Laguna, Nueva Ecija, Pampanga, and Zambales. The whole-day event in Mandaluyong will also feature talks on various breastfeeding topics and child care, and a bazaar of event-sponsors, mompreneurs, and local businesses.