Countries all over the world are working to manage and limit the impact of COVID-19. More than ever, people are urged to pursue a healthy lifestyle by maintaining a proper diet and regular exercise, getting enough sleep and avoiding alcohol, smoking, and stress. All these activities improve the body's overall functions and boost immunity.

People with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have a greater risk of severe illness when confronted with COVID-19. NCDs alone kill 41 million people each year, contributing about 71% of all deaths globally. In the Philippines, NCDs account for 68% of all deaths. One in every three Filipinos is likely to die before 70 from one of the four major NCDs – cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), cancer, diabetes, or chronic respiratory diseases. CVDs, particularly coronary heart disease (CHD), account for nearly half of the world's NCD related deaths and claim around 70,000 lives in the Philippines every year (WHO, 2018).

High intake of trans-fatty acids (TFA) or trans fats increases the risk of death from any cause by 34% and CHD mortality and morbidity by as much as 23% and 28%, respectively. Every year, more than half a million deaths are attributed to TFA globally. Dubbed as the "tobacco of nutrition," TFA has no health benefits and is completely replaceable with no difference in food cost or taste. However, partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), the major source of trans fats, are still present in Filipinos' daily diet.

The Truth About Trans Fats / (Un)Covering Trans Fats Media Training and Fellowship Program is a media project that aims to save lives through stories. The program provides the storytellers and content creators who reach broad and diverse audiences with the skills and opportunities to look into TFA's situation in the Philippines and produce critical and unique stories that will make a difference in the health and lives of all Filipinos.

The first cycle of the (Un)Covering Trans Fats Media Program in November 2018 to March 2019 was an attempt to initiate the conversation on trans fats. Media practitioners who were part of that initial program admitted that reporting on TFA was challenging. The concepts were too technical, there was not enough available information on trans fats, and very few resource persons could speak comprehensively about it.

The project's 2nd and 3rd cycle contributed to raising the consciousness on TFA in the Philippines. ImagineLaw, Inc. and their partners organized a Trans Fat-Free Philippines movement and conducted activities that led to critical actions in the advocacy, such as the filing of the Trans Fat-Free Bill in July 2020. These circumstances address many of the obstacles mentioned by the previous media fellows. The COVID-19 pandemic also emphasizes the urgency to heighten the conversations on health, especially on consuming and eliminating industrially-produced trans fats.

Check out the (Un)Covering Trans Fats Media Fellowship stories on our Resources page.

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