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| Fitness coaches Toni and Jim Saret (both in black outfit) pose with the country's top cardiologists and Philippine Heart Association officers during the WHD celebration in Quezon City. |
Nearly 1 in 10 children and almost 4 in 10 adults in the Philippines are now classified as overweight and obese, a level considered high by global standards. This is according to the health article published on March 2025 by the World Health Organization (WHO).
This is so because children nowadays are growing up in environments where unhealthy food is more accessible than nutritious options: processed food products, sweetened cereals, packaged snacks, and flavored drinks flood the market. The lack of better food choices shape their bad eating habits early according to experts.
“Obesity increases the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, elevated bad cholesterol levels and type 2 diabetes. Around 38 percent of Filipino adults have a high body mass index,” warned Philippine Heart Association President Dr. Walid Amil, during the observance of World Heart Day (WHD) on October 26 at Barangay Bagong Pag-Asa in Quezon City.
He encouraged every attendee to join the movement for mobility: Galaw-galaw Pilipinas! urging the public to live a physically active lifestyle to curb obesity because it is a major challenge globally.
"To the public, to the residents of Barangay Bagong Pag-Asa, and to the media: You are our bridge to the World Heart Day movement. We have one heart—let’s take care of it together. Let’s all be part of this: don’t miss a beat, move, move Philippines!" Dr. Amil added.
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| PHA Pres. Dr. Walid Amil at the WHD celebration:" Galaw-Galaw, Pilipinas! " |
For 25 years in a row, the PHA has relentlessly urged Filipinos to take good care of their hearts because the cardiovascular disease (CVD) bug has been the number one cause of mortality globally, and in the Philippines.
The WHO also reported that CVDs claimed 17.9 million lives every year, nearly half of all deaths from non-communicable diseases. In the Philippines, the numbers painted the same grim picture. In 2023 alone, cardiovascular diseases accounted for 112,789 deaths, or about 19 percent of the total deaths in the country. The World Heart Federation (WHF) projected that “by 2030 obesity potentially will affect one in five women and two in seven men.”
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| PHA Council on CPR Chair Dr. Don Robespierre Reyes supervised the hands only CPR training during the event |
Don’t Miss a Beat
This year’s WHD theme is “Don’t Miss a Beat,” while the PHA-led WHD theme is “Galaw-Galaw Pilipinas!”
“Don’t Miss a Beat,” served as a global reminder to stay aware, take every opportunity to care of your heart, and never ignore the warning signs. Galaw-Galaw Pilipinas!” calls for regular exercise coupled with a balanced diet as the most potent “medicine” to prevent and manage CVD.
“Big changes and milestones always begin with small steps, from Filipino homes and the barangays. A healthier nation is one with its citizens that are active and are living a healthy lifestyle," PHA Sec. Richard Henry Tiongco II, concurrent WHD chair, said.
“Since 2000, the PHA, through its 14 active chapters nationwide, has proudly carried the Philippine flag in this global campaign,” said PHA Advocacy Chair and Director III Dr. Iris Garcia who co-hosted the celebration with PHA Treasurer Dr. Luigi Segundo. “Every WHD yearly, more than 150 countries join hands to put the spotlight on cardiovascular health,” Segundo said.
The celebration gathered health advocates, students, and community leaders in Quezon City for a day of learning, movement, and solidarity. Throughout the day, participants learned from a series of lectures covering crucial topics on heart health and emergency response.
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| "WHD 2025 is a renewal of promise to me that protect the human heart. " |
In his video message, Health Sec. Teodoro Herbosa said: “Today, we gather not only to mark World Heart Day (WHD), but to renew a promise to protect the very engine of life, which is the human heart. Every number in the statistics of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a face, a name, a life story cut short too soon. It is a mother who never returned home, a father who could not walk his daughter down the aisle, a child whose laughter was silenced.”
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| Women (above) and student groups (below) joined the annual health event. |
CPR-ready community
Dr. Don “Heartrob” Reyes, Chair of the PHA Council on CPR, and Dr. Jeannica Lerios-Dela Peña guided students and residents in a hands-on CPR demonstration. The doctors discussed how quick, confident action during cardiac arrest can mean the difference between life and death, and encouraged everyone to learn and share the skill within their own communities.
Reyes explained that “building a CPR-Ready Philippines starts in local barangays — by equipping people with the knowledge, confidence, and courage to respond in emergencies. His session, marked by curiosity and participation, captured the essence of PHA’s mission: saving lives through education, movement, and compassion.”
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Coach Toni Saret in action for Zumba, much-awaited activity of the program. PHA doctors (below) led the "Galaw-Galaw" activity |
Capping the day is the Zumba dance with celebrity fitness icon Coaches Jim and Toni Saret, PHA Healthy Lifestyle Ambassadors since 2015. They introduced new Zumba steps during the high-spirited dance exercise session, transforming the venue into a lively celebration of heart health and community spirit.
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| This writer and media friends (below) joined the free medical consultation |
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