SWS poll: 7 in 10 Filipinos want food warning labels

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

Seven out of 10 Filipinos want the government to require food manufacturers to print black octagonal warning labels on the front packaging of food and beverage products that contain high levels of sugar, sodium, or fats, a Social Weather Stations survey found.

The nationwide survey, conducted in March 2026 and commissioned by the Healthy Philippines Alliance, found that 70% of Filipinos agreed with the proposed mandate, while 16% were undecided and 13% disagreed.

The HPA, a network of civil society and public health advocates convened by HealthJustice, released the results in time for National Nutrition Month this July.

The poll also found that 75% of Filipinos agreed they would be able to choose other healthier options if warning labels were visible in pre-packaged food and drinks. Thirteen percent were undecided, and 11% disagreed.

Warning labels on products also prompted 58% of Filipinos to say they would feel very to extremely concerned about their children’s health if their children consumed such items. Fourteen percent said they would be moderately concerned, 21% slightly concerned, and 6% not concerned at all.

“The SWS survey results strongly validate that front-of-pack warning labels are the best fit for Filipino consumers. We really need to improve our food labels now. Parents most especially, deserve simple yet direct guidance on pre-packaged food so they can easily shield their families from the rising threat of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) like obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease,” said Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan, Lead Convener of the HPA and former Health Secretary.

The survey tested the healthfulness perceptions of 1,500 respondents using a mock product of a fortified powdered milk drink.

Without any front-of-pack label, the mock product was perceived as healthy by 48% of Filipinos, while 45% were undecided and 5% said it was not healthy.

Perception shifted only slightly when respondents examined the same mock product bearing the Traffic Light Label and the Health Star Rating. Fifty percent and 53% respectively perceived the product as healthy, 43% and 44% were undecided, and 5% and 2% said it was not healthy.

The change was far sharper with warning labels. Only 28% of Filipinos believed the product was still healthy, 32% were undecided, and 38% thought it was no longer healthy.

“The survey evidence shows Warning Labels largely outperform other front-of-pack labeling schemes, in this case, Traffic Light and Health Star Rating, at changing perceptions of healthfulness of a product. Those who perceived the mock product with Warning Labels as not healthy are relatively higher in Balance Luzon (46%), rural areas (42%), class E (40%), females (39%), among aged 25-44 (40%), and college graduates (48%),” the First Quarter 2026 Social Weather Survey reported.

“Filipinos deserve clear, honest, and easy-to-understand front-of-pack food warning labels that immediately identify pre-packaged products high in sugar, sodium, or unhealthy fats,” said Jennina Duatin, Registered Nutritionist-Dietitian and Board of Trustees of Diabetes Philippines, an HPA member organization.

Duatin continued, “There are many foods and beverages that market themselves as healthy but in reality have high levels of nutrients that can cause them to become at risk of having chronic diseases. The nutrition details are usually found on the back-of-pack Nutritional Facts panel, which can be hard to understand and interpret by the consumers. Front-of-pack warning labels can empower consumers to make informed food choices and help protect them from misleading marketing practices.”

The HPA continues to push for the passage of House Bill 8284, or the “Healthy Food Marketing and Labelling Act of 2026,” sponsored by Pusong Pinoy Partylist Representative Jett Nisay under the 20th Congress.

The proposed measure requires the mandatory display of black octagonal food warning labels on the front of packaged foods and beverages that exceed the limits set for sugar, sodium, and saturated fats as prescribed by the Philippine Nutrient Profile Model.

Any product that will bear food warning labels shall also be totally prohibited from all forms of marketing under the bill, especially marketing targeted at children.