A healthier lifestyle, better eating habits, and fitness goals—these are likely at the top of your 2025 resolutions. If you're in Quezon City, it seems you've manifested well, as the city is making it easier to stay on track.
With the new Calorie Labeling Ordinance, restaurants and food establishments are now required to display calorie counts on their menus, giving you the power to make more informed food choices. "This ordinance is more than just a regulation—it's an opportunity to empower our citizens to make informed decisions about their food," Mayor Joy Belmonte announced in a press conference on Thursday.
"By displaying calorie labels on restaurant menus, QCitizens can consciously choose healthier meals, reducing their risk of lifestyle diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease," she added.
Originally enacted on March 21, 2024, the ordinance will roll out in three phases. In its first year, it will apply to restaurants with at least five branches in QC. By the second year, it will cover establishments with two or more branches, and in the third year, all food businesses in the city will be required to comply.
The implementation will officially start in December 2025 to give time for transition.
Since accurate calorie labeling is crucial, Section 10 of the ordinance mandates that a "Registered Nutritionist-Dietitian employed by the food business or an employee with a supervisory role" must oversee the calculation of calorie and nutrient content.
"Attesting that the nutrition information is accurate and that the method of preparation for the standard menu item offered for sale is consistent with the method used to determine the nutrient values," the Section 10 of the ordinance read.
Failure to comply with the ordinance comes with escalating penalties from P1,000 to P5,000, along with violation and a possible revocation of the business permit.
Calorie Labels On Food Menu In QC: What You Need To Know
Some might wonder—why add calorie labels to menus? Others even argue that seeing calorie counts could make people overly conscious and potentially trigger eating disorders. But while calories themselves aren't bad (our bodies need them for energy), having too much or too little can seriously affect our health.
Dr. Ramona Asuncion Abarquez from the Quezon City Health Department pointed out that one in five adults in the Philippines suffers from a non-communicable disease, while one in three is either overweight or obese. She describes this as a "public health crisis."
Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority support this concern, showing that in 2023, the leading causes of death were ischemic heart disease, cancer, and stroke—conditions closely linked to poor diet and lifestyle diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension.
With numbers like these, improving Filipinos' nutrition should be a priority—even if it means tackling it one city at a time.
