Concerned about rising cases of chronic kidney diseases, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Thursday appealed to parents and teachers to train children in proper diet at an early age to avoid serious illnesses later in life.

President Marcos also urged those in the food industry to prepare healthy meals, particularly with reduced sugar content.

“Kailangan natin ng tulong ng magulang, ng mga teacher, maging na ang mga nasa industriya na ‘yung mga naghahanda ng fast food eh bawasan naman nila ‘yung paglagay ng asukal para naman ay ‘yung kabataan natin ay hindi mapunta sa ganitong kondisyon,” President Marcos said in his remarks during a visit to the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI) in Diliman, Quezon City.

The President emphasized the importance of introducing Filipinos to nutritious eating habits at a young age as a long-term solution to reducing the incidence of lifestyle diseases.

President Marcos was in the NKTI to launch the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth)’s new benefit package for post-kidney transplantation services.

The President visited patients at the NKTI Hemodialysis Center and the Hemodialysis Center Extension. He also met post-kidney transplant patients.

On President Marcos’ directive, PhilHealth has improved benefits for members diagnosed with the most severe stage of chronic kidney disease. ǀ PND