The Healthy Philippines Alliance (HPA) has called on government leaders to implement a mandatory food warning label policy to address the growing prevalence of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in the country.
The appeal was made during a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signing on October 16, coinciding with World Food Day and the Global Week for Action on NCDs.
Dr. Jaime Galvez-Tan, former Health Secretary and HPA Lead Convenor, highlighted the urgency of the issue.
“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 bottom line: NCDs threaten the quality of life of every Filipino,” he said during the event in Quezon City.
The Philippines currently has only voluntary front-of-pack labeling and mandatory back-of-pack nutrition facts, which HPA argues are insufficient.
A Social Weather Stations survey in March 2024 revealed that 62% of Filipinos believe food warning labels clearly indicate health risks, and 66% support a policy to implement them.
“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, said Galvez-Tan.
HPA Youth Network Lead Convenor Alyannah Lagasca stressed the importance of acting now. “The time to lead was yesterday. Every yesterday that we didn’t move and campaign for NCDs is a yesterday neglected and wasted. The health landscape now is not something I would want my future family to experience,” she said.
The HPA, alongside HealthJustice Philippines and ImagineLaw, will launch a media campaign to raise awareness on the importance of food warning labels as part of a broader effort to tackle obesity and NCDs in the country.
