The Philippines is going meatless on Monday! “Luntiang Lunes” launches on July 25th with the help of Dr. Custer Deocaris, a neuroscience and bio-gerontology expert with the Department of Science and Technology. Dr. Deocaris has long touted the benefits of a vegetable-rich diet and hopes that Meatless Monday will help steer citizens in the right direction. The Philippines currently has one of the lowest rates of vegetable consumption in southeast Asia, at just 80 pounds per person per year. Meatless Mondays may help the country reach their recommended intake of 152 pounds a year, reducing malnutrition and obesity in the process. Dr. Deocaris also hopes that the campaign will encourage Filipinos to eat more indigenous produce.
Luntiang Lunes will highlight the health benefits of eating less meat by launching in the cafeteria of the Philippine Heart Center. Representatives from schools around the country will gather for the starting ceremonies, complete with free food and giveaways. Dr. Deocaris feels the campaign will be a winning way to talk about health, biodiversity and sustainability with the country’s 25.7 million students. “To increase vegetable consumption of Filipinos, we need to target children. Schools and family will need to seize the opportunity in educating them.”
We at Meatless Monday would like to welcome the Philippines to the global movement! Monday Campaigns founder Sid Lerner has even created a video in celebration of the campaign’s launch:
