BAD EATING HABITS PLAGUE CORDILLERA

March 1, 2025 Opinion

IN the vegetable capital of the Philippines, people suffer from unhealthy eating habits. ‘’Alarming Talaga na nasa top
ang cardiovascular diseases ang mga Cordilleras,” Joyce Rillorta, Nurse V, Lifestyle Diseases Program of the DOH CAR explaining traditional cuisine contains high fat, salt and carbohydrates. Records show heart disease as the second leading cause of death last year with over 741 succumbing to the disease with 431 males and 310 females. The most common cardiovascular diseases are; coronary artery disease, high blood pressure and cardiac arrest.

Pneumonia tagged as the leading cause of death with 850 succumbing to the disease and cancer ranked at third with 588 deaths followed by Acute Myocardial Infarction (heart attack) remains a significant health concern, causing 372 deaths and hypertension with 333. “Cordilleran’s love rice and many individuals consume large portions of white rice which contributes to increase in sugar in the blood resulting in diabetes. Also include that most Cordilleran’s love to drink the tapey (fermented rice wine) and other alcoholic beverages during feasts of after work,” Rillorta added.

Ironically, despite the abundance of vegetables in the region, malnutrition and overnutrition is plaguing households.
Candice Salingbay, Nurse V under the Nutrition program of the Department of Health – Cordillera Administrative
Region (DOH CAR) said though the region supplies vegetables for the entire country, Cordilleran’s do not eat the produce of the highlands. “In areas with plenty of vegetables, malnutrition can still exist, because the nutritional status of a person depends on the diet, lifestyle, physical activity and other health conditions, despite being salad bowl of the Philippines, various forms of malnutrition will exist here, in the 2023 Food and Nutrition Research
Institute of the Department of Science and Technology, Cordillera ranks 2nd in obesity in the entire Philippines with prevalence of 63.1 among adults between 20 – 59, this is still a lifestyle choice, the culture of the Cordillera has high meat consumption with people mostly carnivorous,” Salingbay said.

The DOH CAR notes the typical diet in the highland contribute to a decline in health despite having high in fiber,
vegetables and root crops like camote, gabi, sayote and beans with food preparation that contain high salt content.
The DOH underscores modernization has introduced dietary changes that contribute to hypertension and diabetes like canned goods, noodles, hotdogs have become popular due to the convenience but contain unhealthy fats and preservatives as well as the ‘’eat- all-you-can’’ culture is strongly linked to obesity because of unlimited portions of high calorie, high fat food choices, disrupted satiety signals, social influences, long term health risk.

Salingbay recommends to change lifestyle choices and do all activities in moderation, adding nutritionists are available at the DOH or at the rural health units of the barangays for a free diet prescription which will guide those who need it to a healthier way of eating with recommendations based on personal lifestyles. While Rillorta reminds to have an annual checkup po and avail of the Kunsulta packages which include free blood, glucose, cholesterol, and uric acid, x-ray, CBC and stool examinations at the various rural health units.

This article is part of the Unblock Your Heart Health Reporting initiative, supported by the Philippine Press Institute and Novartis, to improve health literacy on cardiovascular diseases. Know your numbers, understand your risks, and consult your doctor—so no Filipino heart is lost too soon. Take control of your heart health today. Visit unblockedmovement.ph for more information.