Nona D. Andaya-Castillo, IBCLC
GLOBE: +63915-999-9992
SMART: +63998-998-9953
www.nanaynona.com
You Tube: Nanay Nona
Facebook: NanayNona.10k
www.breastfeedingphilippines.com
Nona Andaya-Castillo, has dedicated her life in health communication focusing on safeguarding maternal and child health since 1997 and has helped hundreds of thousands of parents reached their infant and young child feeding goals.. She is the first and currently the only non-medical doctor in the Philippines who passed the accreditation for International Board Certified Lactation Consultant in 2004, an accreditation recognized by the US National Commission on Certifying Agencies since 1988.
A trailblazer, her national and international campaigns and projects established many FIRSTS in the Philippines that directly benefited hundreds of thousand of mother-child pairs. These projects broke the news blackout on breastfeeding that was on the brink of extinction in the Philippines (16% Exclusive Breastfeeding). At that time, many Filipino mothers were harassed when they nurse in public. Her events were featured in local and international media like BBC, Time Magazine, Reuters and AFP, with front-page news, TV and radio stations’ coverage during primetime hours and in more than 100 websites around the world.
She also promotes the consumption of indigenous fruits and vegetables to combat malnutrition and other indigenous nurturing practices. In 2011, with DOST Balik Scientist (Returning Scientist) and Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) Awardee, Dr. Custer Deocaris, Tessa Salazar and Aries Espinosa of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Nona spearheaded the Philippines’ Meatless Monday dubbed as Luntiang Lunes (Green Monday).
Nona belongs to the team that led the campaigns on breastfeeding. Fondly called “The Trinity” by “The Father”, Hilarion “Larry” Henares Jr. With “The Daughter”, Dr. Elvira L. Henares-Esguerra, and Nona as The Holy Skeleton, they bravely exposed the sale of four (4) million cans of possibly contaminated formula milk despite the possibility of murder and an offer of 200 million Philippine pesos from milk companies to their team.
She conceptualized and organized the following events and projects with her team from 2005 to 2013 to promote, support and protect breastfeeding.
Promotion:
Protection
Other Activities on Breastfeeding Promotion, Protection and Support:
Her baptism of fire happened when she managed the rehabilitation of severely malnourished infants and children rescued by Bantay Bata (Child Watch) Center in December 1997, overseeing and assisting 21 wet-nurses in tandem breastfeeding the rescued infants as well as their own babies. Since then, she has counseled parents on infant and young childcare as well as help ill individuals heal from lifestyle diseases.
Nona teaches earth-friendly parenting and lifestyle: natural family planning, joyful childbirth, extended breastfeeding, plant-based-nutrition and the Filipino nurturing practices using the latest evidence-based scientific information and adapting it in the Philippines’ unique culture especially in a resource-poor setting.
Prior to this calling, Nona worked as an information and advocacy officer for several non-profit organizations after she graduated from the University of the Philippines Diliman in 1983 with a degree in Broadcast Communications. Before she focused on health communication, she promoted peasant, human rights, and disaster response issues. Her work involved public information dissemination, event organizing, media networking; volunteer organizing, fundraising and project monitoring and evaluation.
Nona is a mother of a millennial and is wife of a mathematics and computer geek. The family thrives on a plant-based diet since 1991.
GLOBE: +63915-999-9992
SMART: +63998-998-9953
www.nanaynona.com
You Tube: Nanay Nona
Facebook: NanayNona.10k
www.breastfeedingphilippines.com
Nona Andaya-Castillo, has dedicated her life in health communication focusing on safeguarding maternal and child health since 1997 and has helped hundreds of thousands of parents reached their infant and young child feeding goals.. She is the first and currently the only non-medical doctor in the Philippines who passed the accreditation for International Board Certified Lactation Consultant in 2004, an accreditation recognized by the US National Commission on Certifying Agencies since 1988.
A trailblazer, her national and international campaigns and projects established many FIRSTS in the Philippines that directly benefited hundreds of thousand of mother-child pairs. These projects broke the news blackout on breastfeeding that was on the brink of extinction in the Philippines (16% Exclusive Breastfeeding). At that time, many Filipino mothers were harassed when they nurse in public. Her events were featured in local and international media like BBC, Time Magazine, Reuters and AFP, with front-page news, TV and radio stations’ coverage during primetime hours and in more than 100 websites around the world.
She also promotes the consumption of indigenous fruits and vegetables to combat malnutrition and other indigenous nurturing practices. In 2011, with DOST Balik Scientist (Returning Scientist) and Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) Awardee, Dr. Custer Deocaris, Tessa Salazar and Aries Espinosa of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Nona spearheaded the Philippines’ Meatless Monday dubbed as Luntiang Lunes (Green Monday).
Nona belongs to the team that led the campaigns on breastfeeding. Fondly called “The Trinity” by “The Father”, Hilarion “Larry” Henares Jr. With “The Daughter”, Dr. Elvira L. Henares-Esguerra, and Nona as The Holy Skeleton, they bravely exposed the sale of four (4) million cans of possibly contaminated formula milk despite the possibility of murder and an offer of 200 million Philippine pesos from milk companies to their team.
She conceptualized and organized the following events and projects with her team from 2005 to 2013 to promote, support and protect breastfeeding.
Promotion:
- Guinness World Records on Simultaneous Breastfeeding:
- Single Site with the City of Manila, UNICEF and the DOH breaking the USA record with 3,541 mother-child pairs in 2006
- Multiple Sites nationwide with DSWD and TESDA (15,128 mother-child pairs) in 295 sites in 2007 (with a National Record of 22,500 mother-child pairs in 590 sites). The annual nationwide gathering mobilized the biggest record with 35,749 mother-child pairs in 1,000 sites in 2013 with UNTV
- Synchronized Breastfeeding Worldwide in partnership with the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) with the participation of 16 countries (2007, 2008 and 2009)
- Breastfeeding Olympics in Beijing, China during the World Olympics (2008) under the Office of the President
- Presidential Proclamation of the nationwide celebration of World Breastfeeding Week and its annual celebration in Malacañan Palace with the President in attendance (2005 - 2010)
- Proclamation of the Breastfeeding Queen, Princesses and Princes under the Office of the President
- Photo Exhibits of Breastfeeding Mothers first displayed in the Ceremonial Hall of Malacañan Palace and toured in many places including the Congress, Senate, many branches of SM Malls, Philhealth, several hospitals and LGUs (2006 - 2010)
- Established the Breastfeeding Clinic at Makati Medical Center that served indigent patients (2002 - 2004)
- Website - www.breastfeedingphilippines.com - Number 1 in Google Search (since 2006)
- Established Breastfeeding Stations in all SM Supermalls nationwide that serves hundreds of thousands of mother-child pairs nationwide (2006). Through this policy advocacy, the establishment of lactation stations became a law in 2010.
- Set-up free online classes on Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) since 2007
- Maintained a free hotline with 24/7 service (since 2004)
- Organized Continuing Medical Education (CME) on Breastfeeding and Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) for medical practitioners, highlighted in the 100th(2007), 101st (2008) and 102nd (2009) Anniversary of the Philippine Medical Association (PMA), integration of optimal IYCF practices in school curricula in partnership with the Department of Education (2009), DOST (2010), CHED (2007) and the establishment of the Philippine Lactation Resource and Training Center with TESDA (2006 - 2012)
Protection
- Organized Senate and Congress hearings (2005-2011)
- Drafted a bill to strengthen EO 51 with Rep. Anna York Bondoc (2006-2011)
- Exposed the sale of 4 million cans of possibly contaminated formula milk despite the possibility of murder and an offer of P200 million pesos from milk companies to their team.
- Attended public hearings on the Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations (RIRR) of EO 51 (2006-2007) and the meetings of the Inter-Agency Committee on EO 51 (2008-2010
Other Activities on Breastfeeding Promotion, Protection and Support:
- Awarded as the Primary Investigator/Project Leader of a scientific research project funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation form 2011 to 2013.
- Managed the rehabilitation of severely malnourished infants and children rescued by Bantay Bata (Child Watch) Center in December 1997, overseeing and assisting 21 wet-nurses in tandem breastfeeding the rescued infants as well as their own babies. Since then, she has counseled parents on infant and young childcare as well as help ill individuals heal from lifestyle diseases.
- Monitored the implementation of the laws that protect breastfeeding under the project initiated by the International Babyfood Action Network (IBFAN) from April to July 1997 and continued monitoring and reporting violations even after the conclusion of the project.
- Acted as the researcher for the film project “Formula for Disaster” for UNICEF in 2006.
Her baptism of fire happened when she managed the rehabilitation of severely malnourished infants and children rescued by Bantay Bata (Child Watch) Center in December 1997, overseeing and assisting 21 wet-nurses in tandem breastfeeding the rescued infants as well as their own babies. Since then, she has counseled parents on infant and young childcare as well as help ill individuals heal from lifestyle diseases.
Nona teaches earth-friendly parenting and lifestyle: natural family planning, joyful childbirth, extended breastfeeding, plant-based-nutrition and the Filipino nurturing practices using the latest evidence-based scientific information and adapting it in the Philippines’ unique culture especially in a resource-poor setting.
Prior to this calling, Nona worked as an information and advocacy officer for several non-profit organizations after she graduated from the University of the Philippines Diliman in 1983 with a degree in Broadcast Communications. Before she focused on health communication, she promoted peasant, human rights, and disaster response issues. Her work involved public information dissemination, event organizing, media networking; volunteer organizing, fundraising and project monitoring and evaluation.
Nona is a mother of a millennial and is wife of a mathematics and computer geek. The family thrives on a plant-based diet since 1991.