The Quezon City Human Milk Bank (QCHMB) is extending its life-saving services beyond city borders, with the majority of its beneficiaries in 2025 now coming from outside Quezon City—a testament to both the city’s strong maternal support systems and its commitment to regional solidarity in newborn care.
Data from QCHMB show that 56 percent of its pasteurized human milk supply in 2025 was dispensed to non–Quezon City residents, while 44 percent benefited QCitizens. This marks a significant shift, highlighting Quezon City’s growing role as a referral and support hub for vulnerable infants across Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
The milk bank provides pasteurized human milk to preterm and medically vulnerable infants whose mothers face lactation difficulties or medical challenges.
In total, QCHMB served 496 infant recipients in 2025, dispensing 738,670 milliliters of pasteurized human milk.
The comparatively lower number of Quezon City recipients reflects the availability and effectiveness of the city’s nutrition services and lactation support programs, which enable many QC mothers to become self-sufficient in meeting their infants’ milk needs.
“We gladly extend our help to mothers and infants in need, even beyond Quezon City,” Mayor Joy Belmonte said. “This is how we believe public health should work—cities supporting not only their own residents, but the most vulnerable wherever they may be.”
Among the cities and provinces that most frequently avail of milk from QCHMB are Manila, Mandaluyong, Bulacan, Caloocan, Makati, and Rizal, among others.
“Breastmilk is the best nutrition for infants. When mothers face challenges in providing it, the city government is here to step in. Every life nourished is hope restored,” the Mayor added.
The expanded reach of the milk bank is made possible by the generosity of 3,315 eligible donors, who helped QCHMB collect 662,505 milliliters of human milk in 2025 through various collection methods.
Milk donations are accepted at Quezon City General Hospital and Novaliches District Hospital through walk-in donations, milk-letting activities in health centers, and scheduled milk pick-ups. All collected milk undergoes strict pasteurization to ensure safety for infant consumption.
Interested donors may undergo free screening for HIV, Hepatitis B, and Syphilis. Schedules of milk-letting activities are regularly posted on the official Facebook pages of the Quezon City Human Milk Bank and the Quezon City Government.
###
