Three meter high banana heap stars in PETA's pro-vegan campaign

As part of its campaign to promote veganism, animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) set up a 3-meter-high heap of bananas at the Manila Bay Boardwalk Wednesday morning.   PETA members also held placards that said “Unpeel the vegetarian in you.”   “PETA’s objective has always been to promote veganism, vegetarianism in a fun way, and we thought bananas would do that,” PETA’s Rochelle Regodon told GMA News Online.   The group's continuing pro-vegan campaign seems rather ambitious in a country whose iconic dishes include lechon (roast suckling pig), kare-kare (ox tripe cooked in peanut sauce), adobo (pork cubes in garlic and vinegar), and a variety of barbequed chicken parts: isaw (intestines), balun-balunan (gizzard), betamax (blood), and adidas (chicken feet).   But apparently, many Filipinos responded well to the campaign.  

Regodon said, “It was good. We aroused a lot of interest. We were able to talk to people, hand out all our leaflets and vegetarian starter kits, so it shows that Filipinos are really interested in becoming vegetarian.”   Vegetarian diets are plant-based and exclude most meat, but some varieties are stricter than others.   According to the Vegetarian Resource Group there are four types of vegetarians: Lacto vegetarians (do not eat meat or eggs but consume dairy), Ovo vegetarians (do not eat meat, do not consume dairy, but eat eggs), Lacto-Ovo vegetarians (do not eat meat but consume dairy and eggs), and arguably the most extreme type, Vegans, who stay away from any animal by-product including cheese, honey, and even silk, leather, or wool.   In a statement on its website the Department of Health (DOH) said that vegetarian diets can help reduce high blood pressure because they “tend to be higher in potassium, magnesium and calcium, as well as fiber and unsaturated fats, than other diets.” Hypertension, the DOH said, is a “silent killer,” and afflicts over 10 million Filipinos. Many celebrities have taken on vegetarian and even vegan diets. Famous vegetarians include Lea Michele, Natalie Portman, Tobey Maguire and Paul McCartney on the foreign front, and Geneva Cruz, Raya Mananquil, Carlos Agassi, Raymond Bagatsing and Chin-Chin Gutierrez on the local front.   PETA started its Asia-Pacific office in 2005. The group is known for its provocative anti-fur and pro-vegan ads featuring naked celebrities and has gained a reputation for its extreme, controversial protests.   In another effort to promote veganism, the animal rights group named its top 10 favorite vegan desserts earlier this year. — KG, GMA News