MANILA - The Department of Health, the World Health Organization, and some health advocates on Thursday pushed for a trans fat-free Philippines in light of the World Heart Day celebration the day before.

Citing a 2017 WHO non-communicable disease report, the health department said that “about 3,000 Filipinos suffer from premature mortality due to high consumption of TFAs (trans fatty acids)”.

The DOH recently issued AO 2021-0039 seeking to eventually eliminate industrially-produced TFAs by 2023, which is said to be complementary to other legislative efforts like the Trans fat-Free Philippines Bill.

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“We hope to galvanize action across all sectors as we carry on in our endeavor to improve our food system and our transition to a trans fat-free Philippines,” DOH director Dr. Beverly Ho said during the "Strengthening the Heart Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic" webinar.

“Empowering the public to protect their own health is the strongest measure of success in the longer term,” said WHO Representative to the Philippines Dr. Rabindra Abeyasinghe.

Abeyasinghe declared support for legislative cases "which will help secure, ensuring that all industrially-produced trans fats are removed from the food chain in the Philippines."

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