AVANT GARDENER
The Philippines is in a precarious position health-wise. Not only are many Filipinos at risk for malnutrition, many are equally at risk for obesity, which itself is a form of malnutrition.
“[According to the National Nutrition survey done by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute], three out of 10 children ages six months to 12 years old have been stunted or suffered from chronic malnutrition for the last 30 years. When children are stunted, they’re not stunted only in physical standing, but also in mental and emotional standing. So you could just say that if this was going on during the last 30 years, our adult workforce would also be stunted… they won’t be as productive and not as intelligent as what we would want them,” Former Department of Health Secretary Jaime Z. Galvez Tan, MD, MPH, the current chairman of Health Futures Foundation Inc. and lead convenor of Healthy Philippines Alliance, said.
“On the other extreme, obesity has been increasing over time… Now one to two out of 10 children are obese. So imagine the Philippines suffering the double burden of malnutrition, because obesity is a form of malnutrition, as well as undernutrition, or chronic malnutrition…”
The health of children today will not only determine the health of the workforce tomorrow but also how much the state will have to spend on citizens with chronic health issues such as obesity and type 2 diabetes that could be avoided by a lifestyle change, which can start with the kind of food we eat.
A lot of Filipinos don’t understand the impact of highly processed food on their diet, or if they do, they might not have enough knowledge on how to make better choices or may not have the emotional bandwidth to do so.
Doc Jimmy and his associates hope to change this.
“Right now, all food in the market, I mean, particularly grocery supermarkets, I would say, are not properly labeled, or if they are labeled, they are so difficult to understand, even by mothers who are educated,” Doc Jimmy explained. “It’s challenging, and it does not say much… So what if it is five grams of sugar or 10 milligrams of salt. What does it mean to me?”
The two organizations Doc Jimmy heads, together with public interest group ImagineLaw, have collaborated to launch a mass media campaign to spread awareness of the need for food nutrition labels that are easy to understand. They are hoping that public interest will help push for legislative measures.
What they want is simple: Nutritional labels so easy to understand that even a child (or an overworked, overstimulated, exhausted adult) could do it. They are advocating for these labels to be on the front of the package in an octagonal shape to catch the buyer’s eye. Such a presentation will help the buyer make more informed choices.
“We are hopeful that we will get legislation passed before Congress ends… sometime in February,” Doc Jimmy said. “It may look like a shot in the dark, but we are optimistic… But [it does] not, we have the second plan in the new Congress of 2025 where we hope that this will be at the top of the list.”
Doc Jimmy believes that public support is integral, citing public support as the reason behind the success of alcohol and tobacco taxes. He also cites evidence from other countries that legislating food labeling works: “[In] Latin America and South America… they were able to show decreases in childhood obesity [and] childhood malnutrition, and even in adults, also in preventing heart disease, hypertension, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases.”
This does not mean that Filipinos should give up all ultra-processed foods, but rather be aware of the amount they’re taking in. “One pack of noodles is enough for your [daily intake of] salt, or one pack of 3-in-1 coffee is enough for your [daily intake of] sugar,” Doc Jimmy advised.
He also hopes that this change will run parallel to better agricultural policies. “I lament that we are not supportive enough [of our agriculture industry],” he said. “We have enough [local] fruits [and] vegetables… to be available at all times of the year… [but] our Philippine fruits, are more expensive than the imported fruits. I think it’s about time we also invest a lot in our food production that is sustainable… It all goes back to our country’s health.
Food label advocates know that it will be an uphill battle, but they hope that food manufacturers understand that this will benefit everyone.
“This is a big challenge,” Doc Jimmy said. “We want our message to the food companies [to be] ‘You are not our enemy. We are not antagonists.’ I think we all want a healthy Philippines…. Let us all be part of nation-building. Let us all be part of a healthy future for all Filipinos.”