by Mercedes P Sagarbarria, Training Officer, Infant Nutrition, Nestlé Philippines

Nestlé Philippines is very much part of everyday life in this country, having grown from one factory in the early 1960s to five today, directly employing approximately 5,000 people and indirectly employing many thousands more in various sectors of the economy.

We take our responsibilities to local communities extremely seriously. We run community relations initiatives including agronomy assistance programmes, education and employment programmes, development of local sports and projects to foster environmental best practice. For example, each factory has an Environmental Task Force that develops projects that will preserve and improve local environments. Nestlé has won various awards for its environmental record and programmes.

We also participate in health and nutrition awareness programmes in the communities. For example, one of our factories runs a Health Outreach Programme in conjunction with government agencies and health volunteers. This includes free medical and dental services, some free medicines and vitamins, supplemental feeding for malnourished children aged 1-12, and health and hygiene education.

These community health programmes do not, as has been suggested in the past, involve any encouragement to mothers to replace breast-milk for infant formula. By the time I joined the company in 1985 as a nutritionist-dietician, Nestlé had for some years already led the implementation of the WHO Code while others in the industry waited for the local milk code, something which came in 1986. Nestlé's unilateral Code implementation created something of an uneven playing field but Nestlé competed by winning respect in the field of infant nutrition. Surveys conducted among medical contacts consistently rated Nestlé medical representatives as being the most ethical and professional in the industry.

I have now become the training officer for the Philippine market. It is my turn to help medical delegates equip themselves with the knowledge and skills to win the respect of medical and paramedical practitioners. Their first lesson is that abiding by the aims and principles of the Philippine Code should be foremost in their minds at all times.

For further information on Nestlé in the Philippines, please visit our comprehensive website at http://www.nestle.com.ph/