In her latest episode, PGMN anchor Hazel Calawod warned of a “silent crisis” facing the Philippines: Filipinos are dying 10 to 15 years earlier than their neighbors in Japan and Singapore. Current data shows Japan’s life expectancy at 84 years, Singapore at 83, Thailand at 77, while the Philippines lags behind at just 69.
Hazel stressed that this gap is not caused by genetics but by a reactive health system that intervenes only after people fall ill. Preventive checkups and screenings remain limited, with most barangay health centers under-equipped and PhilHealth benefits typically accessed only once patients are already sick.
She pointed out that chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, which accounts for 30% of Filipino deaths, diabetes affecting 6.3 million people, and rising cancer cases are taking lives too early, even though many of these conditions are preventable.
The consequences, she explained, go beyond individual health. Families are often forced into debt due to the cost of treatment, creating a domino effect that impacts multiple generations.
Economically, the toll is severe, with the Philippines projected to lose an estimated ₱250 billion annually in productivity by 2030 as a result of preventable illnesses. Hazel also highlighted the growing migration of healthcare workers abroad as a factor that worsens access to medical services in rural areas.
She noted that solutions exist and cited international examples such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make Americans Healthy Again” program, which bans ultra-processed foods in schools, supports regenerative agriculture, and prioritizes prevention over pharmaceutical dependency.
Hazel urged for similar reforms in the Philippines, including nationwide nutrition education, stronger preventive healthcare programs, and stricter rules to limit corporate lobbying in shaping health policy.
“The data is clear. The solutions exist. What are we Filipinos going to do about it?” Calawod asked
