By means of Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza, Reporter
Lily G. Terrenio, 55, has instant noodles, powdered milk, canned sardines and other processed foods at the end of each month.
A single woman who is unemployed since she returned to the Philippines in 2021 after working as a chambermaid in the United Arab Emirates, she lives from P25,000 ($ 435) who sends her sister from Dubai every month.
“That’s all I can afford” Business world. “This is better than not eating at all.”
Canned meat and canned fish were one of the top products that Filipinos eat in times of emergency, according to a sur from 2023VEY through the Firm Pathworks business solution.
Ischemic heart disease, which scientists have linked to high levels of lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol with low density, was the most important cause of death in the Philippines in the Philippines according to the Local Statistics agency.
From January to August 2024, 60,253 Filipinos died on the ailment, where there is a reduced blood flow to the heart muscle due to a structure of atheromatous plaque in the arteries of the heart. Killing was good for 19.8% of all deaths.
The Philippines is expected to have held its place as the seventh largest market for instant noodles, which, according to the World Instant Noodle Association, have consumed 4.39 billion portions. It is expected that the global demand for instant noodles will reach 120 billion portions this year, little changed from 120.21 billion in 2024.
Instant noodles contain a lot of sodium, preservatives and other chemicals, making them one of the unhealthiest food choices, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Regular consumption of instant noodles can lead to health problems such as high blood pressure, it said.
“Unfortunately, it is often difficult to tell the salt content in our food, especially when buying packaged foods,” said The Who on her website. “Many products on the market, such as instant noodles, have excessive salt content. Without appropriate information about nutrients about the food packaging, however, it is a challenge to assess how much salt the product contains. “
In the Philippines, the estimated daily sodium intake of adults was 4.1 grams in 2022, which is more than double the WHO recommendation.
“Let’s face it: Filipinos love to eat salt,” said Anthony C. Leachon, a lawyer from Arts and Health Reform, in a Viber -Boodschap. “Most Pinoy Dishes use generous amounts of salt, soy sauce, fish sauce or internship (Shrimp paste) to reach full taste. “
Gene N. Nisperos, member of the faculty at the University of the Philippines College of Medicine, said that poverty has forced many Filipinos to consume unhealthy food that is often rich in sodium and unhealthy fats.
“With a lower purchasing power, people are forced to buy cheaper food that is not necessarily healthy,” said Mr. Nisperos, who is also on the board of the Medicine Development Foundation, said Business world In an e-mail with an e-mail. “There is really no such thing as ‘healthy options’ when prices continue to rise while wages remain low.”
“The question is, in an agricultural country that is rich in natural resources, why is it cheaper to process or buy junk food than healthy, natural food?” he asked.
Inflation fell to 2.1% in February – the slowest in five months – from 2.9% in January and 3.4% a year earlier, said the Philippine Statistics Authority on Wednesday. Food inflation also delayed up to 2.6% of 4% a month earlier and 4.8% a year ago.
Food products have been an important engine of inflation in the Philippines, an agricultural nation that is highly dependent on imported food.
In January the wages with inflation were corrected no less than 25% lower than the daily minimum wage in regions in the country. In Peso terms, the real wages with no less than P131.45 were the daily minimum wage that has been established by the regional tripartite wages and productivity council, according to data compiled by Business world.
Mr Leachon said that Ischemic heart disease and other lifestyle diseases cost the national economy around P756.5 billion annually, equal to 4.8% of the annual gross domestic product of the country.
“This figure includes the direct costs of non -transferable diseases related to treatment and the indirect hidden costs arising from reduced productivity in the workplace and premature death of employees,” he added.
Despite their risk to the national economy, the government has largely not encountered a policy against heart conditions, Mr Leachon said. “We have no solid long -term programs to curb Ischemic heart disease in our country.”
Instead, the State undermines the health of the people by the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth) of stripping subsidies, he noticed. The state health insurer did not receive a state subsidy in the national budget of 2025, because legislators marked InefFIJzingen in his activities.
Previously, Philhealth transferred P60 billion ‘surplus funds’ to the national treasury last year, so that the government could use the money to finance vital projects. It was believed to transfer P29.9 billion more to the State before the Supreme Court It stopped to do this in October on the basis of various lawsuits that questioned the move.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. Said days after signing the National Budget that the “NulHudget” for Philhealth would not affect the delivery of health care.
‘Policy Tools’
John Paolo R. Rivera, a senior researcher at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, said government programs that want to promote healthier diets, such as the National Salt Reduction Initiative of the Health Department and Pinggang Pinoy (Filipijnse Plaat) by the Food and Nutrition Institute.
“Many households with a low income still trust processed and sodium-rich food due to affordability and accessibility,” he said in an e-mail with answers to questions. “The lack of strong enforcement and awareness of consumers limits the EFfectivity of these programs. “
In 2022, the Philippines adopted a law that was looking for a total ban on industrial trans fats in 2026.
“Policy instruments To improve the health of the heart, a stronger enforcement of trans fat-free law and progressive health taxes can include high-cholesterol and high-natrium food,” said Mr Rivera.
He also sought incentives for local agro-food players to make healthier options cheaper in the light of climate change, which disrupts agricultural production. He also mentioned the need for massive education campaigns on the health risks of unhealthy eating habits.
“In addition to policy measures such as SIN taxes on sugary drinks, new regulations must be carefully designed to prevent unintended consequences, such as making food more expensive for households with a low income,” he said.
“Filipinos with cardiovascular disease will tax the public health system extra, which means that the demand for medical interventions is the increase in medical interventions,” he added.
There was a proposal at the House of Representatives to burden junk food and sweetened drinks in 2023, but it is not advanced in the midst of the opposition of business groups, who said that consumers could burden and some companies could discriminate.
Financial secretary Ralph G. Recto has also pressed the proposal that he said is inflationary.
Leonardo A. Lanzona, who teaches economics at the ateneneo de Manila University, said that the poor are at a higher risk of developing lifestyle diseases such as heart conditions due to the lack of health facilities and poor education.
Although the rich also consume food with high cholesterol, they have the means to be treated in case they get sick, he be on it.
“Education and health are free,” he said. “Poor education leads to unhealthy forms of diet, while poor health reduces the yields of education. This vicious circle can cause these unfavorable health results. “
Mr Lanzona noted that although inflation can be linked to lifestyle diseases such as heart disease, “the causal link is going the other way.”
“Poor health, especially under the poor, reduces the productivity of employees, which then causes inflation,” he said. “It is time for us to consider health, not only as an outcome of economic conditions, but more as an input of production.”
Mr Leachon insisted on both houses of the congress to come up with pro-cardiovascular health accounts, including a policy for calorie counting in food hubs and preventive health education in the school curriculum.
The government must also give priority to the establishment of more parks, cycle paths, tribes and “advanced transport infrastructure” to reduce obesity and improve health results, he added.
“Making policy that limits unhealthy food is just one way,” said Mr. Nisperos. “But the health approach is not only medical. For food we should not only concentrate on what is going on a plate, but also on how the food comes on that plate. “
“The approach must be multi -sectoral, starting with the food producers in the supply chain,” he added.
This article is part of the Unblock Your Heart Heart Health Reporting Initiative, supported by the Philippine Press Institute and Novartis Healthcare Philippines, to improve health literacy about cardiovascular disease. Know your figures, understand your risks and consult your doctor – so no Filipin’s heart is lost too quickly. Take control of your heart health today. Visit Unblockedmovement.ph For more information.