HomeNewsLaw group to gov’t: Make Christmas parties, food gifts healthier

Law group to gov’t: Make Christmas parties, food gifts healthier

“No public funds should be used for unhealthy food,” said Jeline Corpuz, a registered nutritionist-dietitian

Philippine public interest law group ImagineLaw this week urged national government agencies and local government units to opt for healthier alternatives in their food gifts and Christmas banquets for office parties and public gatherings this holiday season.

“No public funds should be used for unhealthy food,” said Jeline Corpuz, a registered nutritionist-dietitian and a policy consultant for ImagineLaw.

“The government should set a good example to the Filipino people by complying to nutrition, health, and sustainability standards for food items and meals, especially if they are procured using taxpayers’ money,” said Corpuz.



During a “cooking demonstration” for healthier Noche Buena alternatives with homemakers and day care workers in Quezon City, the law group maintained that healthy and nutritious food can be delicious.

“It’s about variety with good preparation of fresh, accessible, and affordable food items, with more whole foods instead of the processed and pre-packaged kinds,” said Corpuz.

ImagineLaw lauded the Quezon City local government for its Healthy Food Procurement Policy that was issued through Executive Order No. 16 in 2021.

The policy mandated that all food, including meals and snacks procured and served by the local government, should follow health, nutrition, and sustainability standards.

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“One of the greatest gifts we can give our employees and constituents this Christmas is the gift of health,” said Corpuz.

Lawyer Ma-Anne Rosales-Sto. Domingo, ImagineLaw’s project manager for Healthy Diets, said “meals should also be trans fat-free.”

“High intake of trans fatty acids or trans fats leads to heart disease that kills 345 Filipinos every day,” she said, citing data from the Philippine Statistics Authority. “Heart disease is the top killer of Filipinos. We must do something now,” she added.

In 2021, the Department of Health and the Food and Drug Administration released guidelines mandating food manufacturers to reformulate and eliminate trans fats in their products.

FDA has set June 18, 2023, for food manufacturers’ compliance.

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