DAVAO CITY – The Davao City Council pushed ordinances on nutritional transparency and food safety to enable informed consumer choices and help address lifestyle-related diseases typical among Filipinos.

Councilor Rachel Zozobrado, chairperson of the Committee on Internal Relations, said these proposed measures, which have already reached second reading through an approved committee report, are still being fine-tuned to ensure practicality and enforceability in local settings.

Zozobrado, along with Councilor Trisha Ann Villafuerte, chairperson of the Committee on Health, and Councilor Al Ryan Alejandre, chairperson of the Committee on Cooperative Development and People's Participation, are reviewing some provisions in the proposed measures.

One measure requires front-of-package nutrition labels, calorie counts, and food safety warnings for packaged goods, restaurants, and other food establishments here. Another promotes the procurement of healthier food and discourages the unhealthy options defined in the proposal.

"There is also a possibility that these two measures may be consolidated into one ordinance, depending on the outcome of further discussions among the authors," Zozobrado said during the Pulong-Pulong sa Dabawenyos media forum on Tuesday afternoon, April 14.

A draft ordinance shown to reporters carried the title "Davao City Nutritional Transparency and Food Safety Labeling Ordinance." It declares a policy to protect public health by requiring transparency on nutritional content and risks of foods high in sugar, sodium, fat, and calories.

Zozobrado said the main concern raised by councilors was enforcement, particularly whether the city could realistically propose nutritional transparency rules in Davao City, even with the support of the local and national government agencies.

The city has the backing of the National Nutrition and Food Technology Council, the Department of Health, the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology, and the Food and Drug Administration, which will provide technical input and support.

Asked how the city would enforce compliance among small eateries, carinderias, kiosks, and stalls that may not have access to laboratory testing, Zozobrado said implementation would be phased and would likely begin with larger restaurants and food establishments.

She said the proposal has no fixed thresholds yet, but larger operators, such as those with multiple branches, may be prioritized in the initial rollout.

Zozobrado added that a council led by the City Health Office would handle orientation and coordinate with stakeholders before enforcement.

She emphasized that Davao City does not intend to impose the ordinance citywide at once, but instead plans a phased, science-based, and organized rollout to allow proper preparation, stakeholder coordination, and effective, efficient implementation.

The draft measure provides phased compliance by micro, small, and medium enterprises, including indigenous community-run establishments, and says the CHO shall provide technical guidance, training, and monitoring assistance.

Also, according to the draft ordinance, barangay-level health personnel, nutritionists, and dietitians may assist establishments in interpreting nutrition thresholds, calorie counts, and total energy requirements.

During consultations with businesses, Zozobrado said one suggestion was to avoid the term "labeling" in some parts of the measure, as labeling falls under the FDA's jurisdiction, and to use "nutritional information" instead where appropriate.

She said the city is considering using existing nutrition references and tools from DOST-FNRI and the National Nutrition Council, including standard data on common Filipino dishes, to make compliance more workable for food providers.

Zozobrado said one proposal under discussion is the preparation of model computations for common dishes, including calories, carbohydrates, protein, and other macronutrients, with adjustments based on ingredients like soy sauce or sugar.

Those computations, she said, would come from the concerned national agencies, which have the laboratories, technical expertise, and reference materials needed to ensure accurate and standardized nutritional analysis.

Zozobrado also said Davao City is studying the experience of Quezon City, which has implemented a similar measure, so that local officials can learn from the challenges encountered there and improve Davao's own rollout soon.

"Benchmarking is part of the city's preparation because implementation is where the real test of the ordinance will come," she said, adding that instead of offering incentives to businesses facing rising food prices, the direction is to remove incentives and keep penalties for non-compliance.

Zozobrado said an earlier draft had contained both incentives and penalties, but the authors later decided to choose one approach. She added that any penalties imposed on food providers, manufacturers, and food establishments would be applied fairly.

The draft ordinance provides that packaged food products sold in Davao City must display calorie content per serving, total sugar, sodium, and saturated fat; graphic or color-coded nutrient indicators; and bold health warnings for products classified as high in sugar, sodium, or fat.

It also requires food and beverage establishments to display calorie and nutrition information on menu boards, digital displays, or printed menus, and to provide health-risk warnings for items that exceed threshold levels.

The councilor clarified that the purpose of the measure is not to deprive people of the food they want to eat, but to provide clearer nutritional information so they can make informed decisions and choose healthier options when they wish.

Zozobrado said this would be especially helpful for people with diabetes and other illnesses and would raise awareness among Davaoeños by giving them practical alternatives rather than simply telling them to eat healthy food without guidance.

She also disclosed that a separate proposal has been submitted to develop an application that would allow users to enter food items and receive nutritional data, including macronutrients, protein, carbohydrates, and sodium, sourced from DOST-FNRI.

"With Committee on Information Technology chairperson Councilor Bonz Militar's proposed app, this could help people gradually learn to calculate nutritional intake and become better role models for their children amid rising cases of dialysis and other diet-related illnesses," Zozobrado said.

Zozobrado explained that authors of the proposed measures have deliberately delayed immediate plenary action to ensure the ordinance is practical, fundamental, clear, and enforceable. "We want the ordinance to be doable and implementable."