Political candidates; Louise Borja Muña, Amanda Blas, Judith Won Pat, Melissa Savares, and Regine Biscoe Lee were the panelists of the University of Guam’s Gender and Diversity Forum held on Wednesday, Oct. 26.  The five candidates discussed a variety of issues, including daycare facilities, breastfeeding, issues of sex education, sexual harassment, and the LGBTQ community.

The panelists particularly discussed the Nana yan Patgon Act, an act that protects a women’s rights to breastfeed in public. The act specifically allows GovGuam employees to breastfeed their children in the workplace should they have the need to bring their children into work.  The act also ensures that college students on Guam can bring their breastfeeding children to class in an event that they must do so.

The panelists were asked whether or not they supported the Nana yan Patgon Act.

“I totally support the Nana yan Patgon Act,” said Judith Won Pat, senator and speaker of the Guam legislature. “I do not like the idea of mothers staying at home, affecting their education and not coming to school to simply breastfeed their child. I hope UOG would bring back the childcare program it used to have.”

Amanda Blas, a senatorial candidate, said, “I think it’s ridiculous that we have to come up with these laws and acts to allow a mother to be a mother.” “We are in a new generation, a new era. Mothers are no longer stay at home.”

Current UOG sophomore, Rachael Mendiola, was one of the attendees at the forum.   

Mendiola expressed her opinions regarding breastfeeding at school as she stated her support for all mothers breastfeeding their babies in public. Her only concern is bringing them to class in an event that they disrupt the lesson and other peers. 

While Mendiola is not a mother herself, she does support having a daycare through the early childhood program. She mentioned that a close friend of hers is a student mother and sees her struggle balancing time to breastfeed her child and school.

“I could only imagine the struggle of mothers, setting aside time to feed and take care of their child while going to school on a set routine,” Mendiola stated. “I truly believe a daycare facility at the University would take some weight off their shoulders.”

As the forum went on to discuss many heart-hitting issues, speakers continued answering questions on topics not only Rachael Mendiola can relate to, but other students as well.