HEALTH ALLIANCE CALLS ON GOV’T LEADERS FOR A FOOD WARNING LABEL POLICY TO BEAT NCDs

BAGUIO CITY

On World Food Day and in time for the Global Week for Action on NCDs (non-communicable diseases), the Healthy Philippines Alliance (HPA), a network of civil society organizations, called on policymakers and legislators to take the lead on enacting a policy for food warning labels as an intervention to mitigate the prevalence of NCDs in the
country. The Alliance made the call amid their groundbreaking Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing
ceremony to formalize its collective commitment to combating NCDs.

The event brought together key policymakers, health professionals, and civil society leaders, including former Department of Health Secretary and HPA Lead Convenor Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan, to simultaneously launch the
campaign urging for a mandatory food warning label policy to empower Filipino consumers to make healthier choices. According to the UNICEF, 74% of Filipino children aged 13 to 15 consume fewer than three servings of vegetables daily, while 38% indulge in at least one soft drink every day. At the same time, separate data shows that 7 out of 10 deaths in the Philippines are linked to NCDs.

“Do we want these tiring numbers to double by the year 2040? Of course our answer is no. If we do not do anything
now, we will suffer in the future. The grim truth is that NCDs drain patients by trapping them in long-term or lifetime treatment. These diseases can hinder Filipinos from being productive members in society and earning a living. The bottom line: NCDs threaten the quality of life of every Filipino. That is why we want to put this issue on center stage,” Galvez-Tan said at the launch of the campaign in Cubao, Quezon City, on October 16.

“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.” The year will see a mass media campaign organized by the Healthy Philippines Alliance, HealthJustice Philippines, and ImagineLaw to raise awareness on the importance of front-of-pack food warning labels aimed at empowering Filipino consumers to make the right choices for themselves and their families.

This will be part of a larger call for stronger policies to combat the country’s growing health crises of obesity and
noncommunicable diseases. Currently, only mandatory back-of-pack nutrition facts and voluntary front-of-pack
labeling practices exist in the Philippines. However, they ineffectively inform or educate Filipino consumers to make
healthier choices. On the other hand, there is growing evidence that showing food warning labels, compared to other kinds of front-of-pack labeling schemes, more effectively discourages consumers from consuming unhealthy food or drinks.

The HPA says this justifies a mandatory policy that warns consumers about high levels of sugar, sodium, and
unhealthy fats in the front packaging of ultra-processed foods. In the March 2024 Social Weather Stations nationwide survey, 62% of Filipinos said that food warning labels, referring to the black octagonal warning labels, most clearly indicate health risk versus other labeling schemes. 66% of Filipino say they will support a policy that will implement this.

Latin America has shown us the power of clear food labels. Countries like Chile, Mexico, and Peru have implemented food warning labels, leading to a significant reduction in the consumption of sugary drinks and unhealthy snacks. It’s time for the Philippines to follow suit and empower our people to protect their health. “For the youth, mental and physical health are interconnected. Sometimes when we are faced with challenges, we take on unhealthy coping
mechanisms,” Alyannah Lagasca, lead convenor of the HPA Youth Network said at the launch.

“Do you like the health landscape in the Philippines now? I would want to reiterate this: the time to lead was
yesterday. Every yesterday that we didn’t move and campaign for NCDs, every single yesterday that we didn’t act on
this is a yesterday neglected and wasted. The health landscape now is not something I would want my future family to experience.”

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