What’s one step to fighting non-communicable diseases? Health group has a suggestion for govt

The Healthy Philippines Alliance (HPA), a coalition of civil society organizations, made a call to action for policymakers to implement a mandatory food warning label policy.

This proposed measure aims to curb the rise of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers in the Philippines, affecting millions of lives each year, HPA said in a news release.

During the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to formalize their commitment to combating NCDs, the Alliance, joined by former Department of Health Secretary and HPA Lead Convenor Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan, urged lawmakers to prioritize policies that empower Filipino consumers to make healthier dietary choices.

On World Food Day, Dr. Galvez Tan stressed that “NCDs drain patients by trapping them in long-term treatment,” which impacts their ability to contribute productively to society and threatens the quality of life of every Filipino.

A 2024 Social Weather Stations survey indicates that 62% of Filipinos believe food warning labels, especially the black octagonal labels indicating health risks, clearly highlight the dangers of unhealthy food. Another 66% of Filipinos would support a policy mandating such labels on processed foods with high sugar, salt, and fat content.

Data from UNICEF also reveal that 74% of Filipino youth aged 13 to 15 consume fewer than three servings of vegetables daily, while 38% drink sugary soft drinks regularly. NCDs currently account for 70% of deaths in the Philippines, demonstrating a critical need for intervention.

Dr. Galvez Tan further expressed that if the nation fails to act now, “we will suffer in the future…We demand our policymakers and legislators to have the moral imperative to accelerate implementation of policies that will address the burden of NCDs. We support one of the best solutions, which is food warning labels.”

HPA’s campaign is part of a broader effort in partnership with HealthJustice Philippines and ImagineLaw to promote front-of-pack labeling. By focusing on ultra-processed foods, the organizations believe these labels could help Filipinos make healthier choices more easily.

According to HPA, current back-of-pack nutritional labels, while useful, do not effectively discourage unhealthy food consumption, as many consumers overlook or misunderstand them.

Latin American countries such as Chile, Mexico, and Peru have seen reductions in the consumption of sugary drinks and unhealthy snacks since implementing food warning labels. Drawing inspiration from these countries, the HPA believes that a similar approach in the Philippines would empower Filipinos to protect their health more proactively.

Alyannah Lagasca, the lead convenor of the HPA Youth Network, noted the connection between physical and mental health, saying that adopting healthier habits could also help young people avoid harmful coping mechanisms.

“For the youth, mental and physical health are interconnected. Sometimes when we are faced with challenges, we take on unhealthy coping mechanisms…The time to lead was yesterday,” Lagasca noted, urging that each delay in action on NCDs represents a “wasted opportunity.”

As the HPA champions this cause, they hope it will spark change and address the health crisis head-on, paving the way for a healthier generation equipped to make informed choices for their well-being.