A Filipino lawmaker is pushing for a measure that would mandate front-of-package warning labels on unhealthy food and restrict the marketing of those products to children.
Rep. Nathaniel Oducado of the 1Tahanan Party-list filed House Bill No. 2660, the proposed “Healthy Food Environment Act” to protect Filipinos, especially children, from the harmful effects of food products high in fat, sugar and sodium.
The bill intends to require warning labels on products that exceed safe levels of these ingredients and to regulate the marketing of such food in schools, playgrounds, and other child-centered spaces.
Oducado SAID it is the state’s duty to promote the right to health and ensure children grow up in healthy environments.
He said that by mandating clear warnings, the measure aims to help consumers, particularly parents, make informed choices and reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases like obesity, hypertension, and diabetes among both children and adults.
“This is about empowering parents and their respective families to make healthier choices and protect our children from aggressive marketing and misleading advertisement of junk food,” Oducado said.
The measure seeks to safeguard children’s right to proper nutrition and a healthy environment.
If passed, the law would set stricter standards on food labeling and advertising practices, aligning with global health initiatives to fight lifestyle-related diseases, Oducado said.
