The Philippines

The Philippines combines strong economic growth with persistent nutrition challenges. In 2024, the country recorded GDP growth of 5.6% and is expected to move from lower-middle- to upper-middle-income status by 2026. Yet this economic progress coexists with a nutrition landscape marked by chronic undernutrition, rising overweight and obesity, and a growing burden of noncommunicable diseases.

This double burden of malnutrition affects children, adolescents, and adults, highlighting the need for public health approaches that address both inadequate diets and rising diet-related chronic disease.

The 2023 National Nutrition Survey shows that undernutrition remains a major concern. Among children under five, 23.6% were stunted. Stunting was also observed in 17.9% of school-aged children and 20.7% of adolescents.

At the same time, overnutrition is increasing. Overweight or obesity affected 12.9% of school-aged children, 5.8% of adolescents, and 57.1% of adults aged 20–59 years.

Fruit and vegetable consumption remains far below recommended levels across all age groups, while rice remains the dominant staple and contributes a large share of total energy intake.

Food insecurity remains a major concern in the Philippines. About 33.4% of households faced moderate to severe food insecurity in the 2021 ENNS, while the 2023 NNS still showed 31.4% of households in this category.

Rural households experience greater vulnerability than urban households, with higher rates of food insecurity, stunting, and underweight. Larger households are also more likely to face food insecurity.

These patterns reflect broader inequalities linked to poverty, geography, household size, and access to diverse, nutritious foods.

Food and nutrition governance in the Philippines is led by the National Nutrition Council under the Department of Health, working alongside the Departments of Agriculture, Social Welfare and Development, Science and Technology, and Education.

The Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) 2023–2028 and the country’s dietary guidelines aim to reduce all forms of malnutrition across the life course, from pregnancy and childhood to adulthood and older age.

Although national policy commitment is strong, fragmented implementation, uneven local capacity, and weak enforcement continue to limit the full impact of these strategies.

The Philippine food environment is shaped by traditional sari-sari stores and wet markets, which remain central to everyday food access, alongside expanding supermarkets, convenience stores, and e-commerce platforms.

The rapid growth of modern retail and online food purchasing has increased access to processed and ultra-processed foods, especially in urban areas. Food and beverage marketing is also highly influential, particularly among children and adolescents.

At the same time, many families still face barriers to healthy diets because of rising prices, limited access to fresh foods, and strong dependence on rice as the main staple.

Rice and rice-based products account for around half of average energy intake, far above levels expected in a more balanced diet.

Intake of fruits, legumes, root crops, and other nutrient-rich foods remains low across age groups, contributing to poor diet quality.

In 2024, leading causes of death included ischemic heart diseases, cancers, cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, and hypertensive diseases.

Together, these major noncommunicable diseases accounted for more than half of all recorded deaths, showing the importance of healthier food environments and diets.