Quezon City to make calorie labels on menus mandatory — here’s why it matters
MANILA, Philippines – “Calories are not inherently bad. It is how calories are consumed in excess or deficiency that can affect your health.”
A calorie is more than just a number — it represents the energy our bodies need to function, given by the food and beverages we consume. The amount of calories (energy) each person needs daily is unique, depending on factors such as age, body mass index (BMI), lifestyle, genetics, pre-existing health conditions, and even environmental influences.
There is no one-size-fits-all answer for the “right” number of calories, but what remains constant in every person is the power of choice. By understanding calorie content, Filipinos can make more informed decisions about their well-being, aligning their food intake with their health or fitness goals.
This is the true meaning of health empowerment, said Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, and it is the guiding principle behind Quezon City’s newest health initiative — the Calorie Labeling Ordinance, a first-of-its-kind policy in Southeast Asia that will mandate restaurants in the city to display calorie counts on standardized menu items.
In a press conference on Thursday, January 30 at the Quezon City Hall, Mayor Joy Belmonte and Dr. Ramona Asuncion Abarquez of the QC Health Department, alongside other government representatives, officially introduced the ordinance, which will be officially implemented by December 2025 in phases, giving restaurants enough time to adapt.
“We are currently facing a public health crisis,” Dr. Abarquez said, and the statistics do not lie.
In the Philippines, 1 in 5 adults is affected by a non-communicable disease, and 1 in 3 Filipino adults is overweight or obese. In Quezon City, 16% of adults have hypertension, 40% have high total cholesterol levels, 4 out of 10 adults are overweight, and 2 out of 10 schoolchildren struggle with obesity.
It’s no wonder why heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension remain the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in the city in 2023 across all age groups, highlighting the urgent need for intervention.
This is why a recommended daily calorie intake exists — consuming more calories than needed can lead to weight gain