Quezon City restaurants to display calorie counts starting December

MANILA, Philippines — Quezon City will start the phased implementation of its local policy mandating restaurants to display calorie counts later this year.

On Thursday, Mayor Joy Belmonte signed the implementing rules for the city’s calorie labeling ordinance, which was approved last year.

The policy will be rolled out in three phases.

The first phase, starting in December, will require food establishments with five or more branches in the city to display calorie counts on their menus.

The second phase, set for the following year, will extend the requirement to establishments with two or more branches.

By the third year, or 2027, all food businesses in the city will be mandated to provide calorie information.

“With this step, our residents will be more empowered,” Belmonte said in Filipino during the signing of the implementing rules and regulations.

“When calorie labels are available on restaurant menus, QCitizens will have the power to choose healthier food options. With the right information, we can also promote a city that prioritizes health and nutrition,” she added.

Barangay-based micro businesses, as well as micro, small and medium enterprises, including ambulant vendors, hawkers and carinderia owners are exempted from the ordinance.

Certain menu items will also be exempted, such as daily specials, temporary menu items and custom orders, among others.

The city will conduct capacity-building activities for food establishments to assist them in the implementation of calorie labeling.

It will also launch a social behavior change communications campaign to encourage healthy diets among the public.

Businesses that will violate the ordinance will face a fine of P1,000 for the first offense; P2,000 for the second offense; P3,000 and issuance of a cease-and-desist order for the third offense, and P5,000 and revocation of business permit for fourth and subsequent offenses.

The local government authorized the city’s health department to investigate complaints received through the dedicated email address qc.calorielabel@quezoncity.gov.ph.

Aside from the mandatory calorie labels, food establishments are also encouraged to voluntarily disclose other nutritional information of the items in their menu.

Those that choose to do so will be eligible for incentives, such as promotion, technical support and even capital assistance from the city government.