MANILA, Philippines – Every hour, a Filipino is diagnosed with kidney disease.

During the “Iwas Alat, Iwas Sakit” (Avoid saltiness, avoid disease) Lay Forum at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City on Wednesday, June 24, doctors warned that sodium – a common staple in Filipino food and households through salt – could fuel an epidemic of kidney disease among people who may not even be aware they are affected.

“Nalaman ko lang na kada oras, may isang Pilipino na nagkakaroon ng sakit sa bato. Hindi [pa] po [for] dialysis, pero sakit sa bato. Imagine niyo po ‘yun… Kada oras po, so parang in 24 hours, 24 people would have kidney disease. Ang pinakamasaklap po dito is pwede natin po siyang ma-prevent,” said Dr. Deborah Ona, senior vice president and medical director at St. Luke’s.

(I just found out that every hour, one Filipino gets diagnosed with kidney disease. Not yet for dialysis, but for kidney disease. Imagine that… Every hour, so it’s like in 24 hours, 24 people would have kidney disease. The worst thing about this is that we can prevent it.)

Kidneys are mainly responsible for filtering natural waste and extra water from the body, as well as helping create red blood cells and balancing blood pressure, among others. They are the primary regulators of sodium.

According to the World Health Organization‘s (WHO) recommendation, a person should consume less than 2 grams of sodium per day, which is equivalent to 5 grams of salt.

However, Filipinos consume 4 grams of sodium, or 10 grams of salt, per day – more than double the amount of WHO’s threshold.

Too much sodium increases the risk for chronic kidney disease (CKD), which happens when the kidneys slowly lose the ability to function as a filter. Diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and family history are the leading causes of CKD, and increase the risk of heart disease and stroke later on.

Medical experts call it a “silent epidemic,” as symptoms only manifest when the patient’s condition spikes to life-threatening levels before it can be diagnosed.

Marybe Ricohermoso, a CKD patient, shared the same harrowing experience during the forum.

“Dahil sa simpleng kadahilanang wala akong nararamdaman, walong taon ang nakalipas, nalaman ko na lamang na nasa end-stage renal disease [na ako]. Bigla na lamang akong nahirapang humina at kailangan akong dalhin sa ospital ng aking pamilya. Hindi ko alam,” she said.

(For the simple reason that I didn’t feel anything, it took eight years before I found out that I had end-stage renal disease. Suddenly, I had difficulty breathing, so I had to be taken to the hospital by my family. I didn’t know.)

Efforts from the DOH

The Department of Health (DOH), through a message, echoed the need for urgent action on high sodium intake and CKD.

“For too long, our healthcare system has operated under a reactive framework, treating diseases only after they manifest. We are actively changing this narrative,” they said.

The department added: “Central to this vision is the ongoing development of our Strategic Plan for CKD (2026-2030), which aims to institutionalize early detection, lifestyle modifications, and healthier food environments across the country.”

They also mentioned the ongoing development of the Philippine Nutrient Profile Model, which will serve as the basis for setting thresholds for key ingredients in prepackaged foods such as sugar, fat, and sodium.

“Healthier options must be actively enabled and made accessible by a supportive, protective food environment,” the DOH said.

Campaigning for people and policies

Dr. Jeline Corpuz, nutritionist and senior program officer of Nutrition International, emphasized the importance of the campaign and the lay forum to ordinary citizens.

“I think the importance of having this kind of advocacy na meron tayong actual group na affected, it really elevates yung voice kasi you give face to the problem itself… Mas makaka-relate ang mas nakakarami,” she said.

(I think the importance of having this kind of advocacy is that we have an actual group that is affected; it really elevates the voice because you give face to the problem itself. The more people there are, the more they can relate to it.)

Corpuz added: “I think this advocacy also hopes na mag-elevate din itong ganitong advocacy na marinig tayo ng mga mambabatas and ng mga leaders natin sa national government agencies that this kind of problem really exists and it can really be felt by the general public.“

(I think this advocacy also hopes to elevate this advocacy so that legislators and our leaders in national government agencies can hear us that this kind of problem really exists, and it can really be felt by the general public.)

Ricohermoso mentioned the need for legislation to institutionalize lowering sodium intake in Philippine households.

“Dito po papasok ang ating masidhing panawagan para sa batas na isulong ang sapat na visibility at transparency sa lahat ng sodium o alat sa mga pagkaing inihahain sa atin, lalong-lalong na sa malalaking establisimyento at sikat na restaurant,” she said.

As of March 2026, more than 20 bills have been filed at the House of Representatives that push for a healthy food environment, including front-of-pack warning labels and sodium reformulation. – Rappler.com