ImagineLaw urges passage of Trans Fat Free Philippines Law to protect heart health

Wazzup Pilipinas!?



“Time’s up for trans fat.”


This was the statement of public interest law group ImagineLaw on Wednesday as it welcomed bills filed by several members of Congress seeking to ban industrially-produced trans fatty acids (iTFAs) in the country’s food supply.

The law group said that the passage of a Trans Fat Free Philippines Law will improve Filipinos’ heart health since high intake of trans fats contributes to cardiovascular diseases, citing data from the Department of Health (DOH) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Trans fatty acids (TFAs) or trans fats are a toxic substance usually used by food manufacturers to prolong food products’ shelf life. TFAs are commonly-found in margarine, instant coffee, donuts, and many others.

Senators Nancy Binay, Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla, Jr., and Joel Villanueva filed Senate Bills No. 116 (co-authored with Sen. Risa Hontiveros), 1207, and 1286, respectively. The bills mandate food manufacturers to reformulate and eventually eliminate trans fatty acids or TFAs in their products.

Counterpart measures were also recently filed in the House of Representatives by Laguna First District Rep. Ann Matibag (House Bill No. 1485), Quezon Rep. Mike Tan (House Bill No. 2548), and Ang Probinsyano Partylist Rep. Alfred delos Santos (House Bill No. 4379). If passed into law, resources will also be allocated to strengthen the institutional capacity of regulatory agencies and ensure that all food sources of iTFA are removed.

“We welcome this multi-partisan effort for a national legislation in the 19th Congress that will improve Filipinos’ cardiovascular health,” said Atty. Sophia San Luis, ImagineLaw’s executive director. “These measures will institutionalize existing policies that seek to remove trans fat from our diet,” she added.

In 2021, the DOH released Administrative Order No. 2021-0039 that sets the plan to eliminate iTFA in the country’s food supply. In the same year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) also released Circular No. 2021-028, a set of guidelines for food manufacturers to remove iTFAs in their products by June 2023.

“Heart disease is the number one killer for Filipinos,” said San Luis. “The Trans Fat Free Philippines Law will help protect our families and loved ones from cardiovascular diseases,” she also said.

Rising prices? Save and prep for Christmas early with The Metro Stores’ Sidewalk Sale

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Up to 70% off in Metro Department Store and Metro Supermarket, including P14,000 discount on a smart TV and all around price drops on homeware, appliances, clothing, and kitchen and pantry essentials

Christmas season in the Philippines starts as early as September, and The Metro Stores is giving Filipinos the chance to kick start their holiday shopping and save up to 70% off with the Sidewalk Sale, happening on September 16 to 18 in all The Metro Stores branches nationwide, through Metro Pabili, and online at shopmetro.ph.

Christmas shopping this early is a surefire ‘wais’ move, as great finds at lower prices await customers at Metro Supermarket and Metro Department Store. Enjoy amazing deals, and thousands of pesos in savings with Buy 1 Get 1 offers, and additional discounts for Metro Rewards Card (MRC) and Metro Business Club (MBC) members.

It’s the perfect time to prep the home for the New Year with Metro Department Store’s irresistible price slashes starting with an over P14,000 discount on a brand new 55” smart TV, up to 40% off on beds, double decks, and sofa beds, plus up to 60% off on different types of linen. There are also giant markdowns on storage items such as closets, organizers, and boxes plus big savings on different types of appliances including air fryers, rice cookers, water dispensers, washing machines, and more.

Every member of the family can also upgrade their wardrobe in time for the upcoming holiday parties with up to 70% discount on apparel for men, women, boys, girls, and babies. Easily mix and match new pieces of clothing from tops, bottoms, and even shoes, plus get a 20% discount on all regular items from brands such as BNY, Jag, Petrol, Crissa, Lee, Michaela, Bossini, and Elle and many more in-store.

Ready to stock the pantry with Noche Buena and holiday goodies? Customers can check out Metro Supermarket’s amazing discounts starting with up to P80 off on wine, beer, and other booze, plus up to over P500 savings on everything from cooking essentials, canned goods, coffee, snacks, sandwich spreads, milk, biscuits, and more.

Even homecare essentials will be on sale, including up to P224 off on laundry detergent, fabric conditioner, and dishwashing liquids and pastes. For those looking to buy new pampering aides such as cleansing and whitening soaps, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, and others, Metro Supermarket has over P40 in savings for every purchase.

MRC and MBC members can also enjoy an exclusive treat in the Sidewalk Sale. Every P1,500 worth of purchase with participating products entitles the member to a free gift of One (1) kilogram of rice or One (1) liter of Metro Select dishwashing liquid available in Fresh N’ Easy stores only, while a P3,500 worth of purchase with participating products in any Metro Supermarket gets the member free Three (3) kilograms of rice or One (1) liter of cooking oil.

Now, there’s every reason to troop to The Metro Stores this weekend with all of the thrilling discounts, deals, and freebies for every customer. With the Sidewalk Sale, everyone walks away a winner with their savings amid today’s surging prices and special treats from The Metro Stores’ early Christmas ‘patikim’.


About Metro Retail Stores Group Inc.

The Metro Retail Stores Group Inc., previously known as Gaisano Metro, is a retail company that built its first Metro Department Store and Supermarket in Colon, Cebu City in 1982. It has grown to own and operate over 60 branches of supermarkets, department stores, and hypermarkets in Luzon and Visayas with heightened presence in Central Luzon, Southern Luzon, National Capital Region (NCR), Central Visayas, CALABARZON, and the Bicol Region.

As one of the largest supermarket and department store chains in the country, Metro aims to make life easy for its customers by offering wide and assorted product selections at affordable prices through convenient ways. Customers can #ShopTheMetroStores in-store or order online through www.shop.themetrostores.ph and have it delivered straight to their homes or picked up at the nearest Metro branch.

Follow @themetrostores.ph on Instagram and The Metro Stores on Facebook or join The Metro Stores Viber community to stay updated!

Negrense Designers Rock

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This month the Negros Season of Culture honors Design deep-down the Negrense DNA. Toto Sicangco has spent half a century in New York City creating costumes and stage sets on Broadway. The Rockettes and Siegfried and Roy’s Vegas performances have showcased his designs. He worked on musicals, like The Sound of Music, Peter Pan, and Brigadoon; on ballets, like the Swan Lake and The Nutcracker; and on operas, like The Barber of Seville and Carmen. Catch Toto Sicangco when he sits down with the NSC team in “I will convince you that it’s beautiful. That’s my job.”

“The Legacy of Teng Jacinto” celebrates 70 years of remarkable work of Architect Teng Jacinto. Especially in Negros, one cannot separate Jacinto from the JUB name, which he started with fellow architects Toto Unson and Nonoy Benedicto. Teng Jacinto looks back to a legacy of homes and buildings he has designed, first with his partnership, and later on his own. 

The new Riverside Medical Center building in Bacolod, opened only this year, was designed by Jacinto, now in his early 90s. 

NSC features two young designers who recently won international acclaim. 

At the 2020 Young Asia Designers Award, the entry of Negrense Interior Design maverick Maita Hagad won the Gold Price for Interior Design. In “Learn Protect Discover”, Hagad redefines the way we regard our physical surroundings, from the structural to the sensory. 

Meanwhile, the youngest designer and the only Filipino in the 2020 Fashion Week San Diego was Negrense Bea Cruz. Competing from home, watching her collection presented virtually, Cruz bagged the Top Designer award, as well as the best team award for BeaCruzPH at the FWSD’s fashion exhibition held in collaboration with Sotheby’s New York. Follow this young designer in “Forward through the Past: The Fifties’ Fine Sophistication, Today”.

Text By: Alan S. Gensoli

Photos By: John Kimwell Laluma, Bea Cruz and Maita Hagad