Gota de Leche (lit. A Drop of Milk) is a foundation started by

Trinidad Rizal Trinidad Rizal y Alonso (June 6, 1868 – May 9, 1951), commonly known as Trinidad Rizal, was a Filipina feminist leader and co-founder of the Philippines' first feminist organization, the ''Asociación Femenista Filipina''. She was the younger ...

(sister of Philippine National Hero, Dr.

José Rizal José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda (, ; June 19, 1861 – December 30, 1896) was a Filipino nationalist, writer and polymath active at the end of the Spanish colonial period of the Philippines. He is considered the national he ...

) and Concepción Felix on 1906 that primarily aims to provide nutritional and medical needs of indigent Filipino mothers and their children. Founded by La Protección de la Infancia Inc., the foundation continues to deliver daily milk rations to Filipino infants Its headquarters, the Gota de Leche building located at 859 S. Loyota St., Sampaloc, Manila, Philippines, designed by architects

Juan Arellano Juan Marcos Arellano y de Guzmán (April 25, 1888 – December 5, 1960), or Juan M. Arellano, was a Filipino architect, best known for Manila's Metropolitan Theater (1935), Legislative Building (1926; now houses the National Museum of Fin ...

and Arcadio Arellano (founding father of Philippine architecture), was awarded Honourable Mention by the

UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Awards UNESCO Asia Pacific Heritage Awards (since 2000) are given with as the strategic purpose of UNESCO with in the region Asia Pacific. The objective is to motivate the protection of Cultural Heritage sites, which are initiated by any individual organi ...

for

Cultural Heritage Cultural heritage is the heritage of tangible and intangible heritage assets of a group or society that is inherited from past generations. Not all heritages of past generations are "heritage"; rather, heritage is a product of selection by soci ...

Conservation in 2003. This opened further support from the

National Commission on Culture and the Arts The National Commission for Culture and the Arts of the Philippines ( fil, Pambansang Komisyon para sa Kultura at mga Sining, ceb, Nasodnong Komisyon alang sa Budaya ug mga Arte) is the official government agency for culture in the Philippines. ...

. The Gota de Leche Building was declared by the

National Museum of the Philippines The National Museum of the Philippines ( fil, Pambansang Museo ng Pilipinas}) is an umbrella government organization that oversees a number of national museums in the Philippines including ethnographic, anthropological, archaeological, and visu ...

as an Important Cultural Property in August 2014.

History

Beriberi Thiamine deficiency is a medical condition of low levels of thiamine (Vitamin B1). A severe and chronic form is known as beriberi. The two main types in adults are wet beriberi and dry beriberi. Wet beriberi affects the cardiovascular system, r ...

'', a sickness caused by a nutritional deficit in Vitamin B1 or Thiamine, was discovered among Filipino women after the Philippine–American War in 1902. Hundreds of infants died before ever reaching 3 months old and it was found that the milk coming from affected mothers were causing these deaths. This distressing condition moved a group of women to address the situation. And so in 1905, Asosación Feminista Filipina was born. It was led by Trinidad Rizal and Concepcion Felix, together with other educated women of the time. Gota de Leche was established the year after, in 1906, as station that manages the daily distribution of pasteurized cow’s milk to Filipino infants. They also provide nutrition education programs to Filipino mothers. This project was recognized as heroic and in order for it to further succeed, the founders needed to collaborate with other professionals who were willing to lend a helping hand to the cause. The collaboration subsequently led to the formation of La Protección de la Infacia Inc., the Philippines’ first independent charity organization constituted by doctors and business leaders among others. La Protección de la Infancia Inc. opened Gota de Leche, the brainchild of Dr. Calderon, who was inspired after witnessing the noble act of the organization. Initially headquartered on ''Calle San Pedro'' (now Evangelista Street) in Santa Cruz near

Plaza Miranda Plaza Miranda is a public square bounded by Quezon Boulevard, Hidalgo Street and Evangelista Street in Quiapo, Manila. It is the plaza which fronts the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene (Quiapo Church), one of the main churches of the City of ...

, the society moved to its present location in Sampaloc upon the completion of the Gota de Leche Building in 1917. Gota de Leche continues its charitable activities. It still provides nutritional and medical assistance to qualified Filipino mothers and children while closely monitoring their improvement. This landmark building also houses the first national center for women’s rights that provides counselling services. Other services include dental assistance, educating families on common illnesses, and playing educational games with the children. Gota de Leche has also started their Brown Rice program, for impoverished families ensuring access to complementary food rations for both mother and child. Volunteers come and provide information on diet and keeping healthy to their parents. In the wake of the recent disaster caused by Typhoon Yolanda, the institution has also opened its doors, literally, to those displaced by the typhoon. The careful restoration of Gota de Leche established the importance of heritage structures and the value of historical buildings as an alternative to demolition.

References

External links

Official website of Gota de Leche
{{coord, 14.60290, 120.98842, display=title Organizations based in Manila Organizations established in 1906 1906 establishments in the Philippines Health in Metro Manila