Manila: Seven in 10 Filipinos support requiring black octagonal warning labels on the front of prepackaged food and beverage products high in sugar, sodium, or unhealthy fats, according to a nationwide Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey released during National Nutrition Month.
According to Philippines News Agency, the First Quarter 2026 survey found broad public support for front-of-pack warning labels as a tool to help consumers make healthier food choices amid rising cases of obesity, diabetes, and other noncommunicable diseases. The March 2026 survey interviewed 1,500 respondents using a mock fortified powdered milk drink to measure how different labeling systems affected consumer perception.
Without warning labels, 48 percent of respondents considered the product healthy, while 45 percent were undecided. Traffic Light Labels and Health Star Ratings had little effect on perception, with 50 percent and 53 percent of respondents, respectively, still viewing the product as healthy. When black octagonal warning labels were added, only 28 percent continued to consider the product healthy. About 38 percent said it was no longer healthy, while 32 percent remained undecided.
The SWS report said the warning labels outperformed other front-of-pack labeling schemes in helping consumers recognize potential health risks. Support for warning labels was strongest among respondents in Balance Luzon, rural communities, Class E households, women, adults aged 25 to 44 years, and college graduates.
The survey also found that 75 percent of Filipinos believe warning labels would help them choose healthier food, while 58 percent said they became more concerned about their children's health after seeing warning labels on prepackaged products. Healthy Philippines Alliance Lead Convenor and former health secretary Jaime Galvez Tan said the findings support the adoption of front-of-pack warning labels to help consumers make informed food choices.
Registered nutritionist-dietitian Jennina Duatin, a member of the Diabetes Philippines Board of Trustees, said warning labels could help protect consumers from misleading marketing by making it easier to identify products high in unhealthy nutrients. Following the survey, the Healthy Philippines Alliance renewed its call for the passage of House Bill 8284, or the Healthy Food Marketing and Labelling Act of 2026, which seeks to require warning labels on products that exceed nutrient limits under the Philippine Nutrient Profile Model. The measure also proposes restricting the marketing of such products to children.
