Filipinos can’t eat food without rice. Even Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It is recommended to eat two or three times a day but usually, Filipinos like to eat more rice. Filipinos are a fan of rice, specifically white rice. They paired with any food like adobo, Lechon Baboy, and their favorite fried chicken from Jollibee, the popular fast food. They called fried chicken, chicken joy. Filipinos who went to Jollibee usually asked “Chicken Joy with rice and extra rice please.” So the counterparts of Jollibee Mcdonalds also offer Fried Chicken called Mac Chicken with rice and extra rice. Then the sister company of Jollibee, Mang Inasal a fast food that caters to Filipino foods like grilled chicken, etc, they are also popular for their offer, unlimited rice, or known as Unli Rice.
Sen. Cynthia Villar in 2017, suggested about to ban Unli rice. Then many Filipinos oppose the suggestion of the senator. It trends online of their backlash about the suggestion. Filipinos against her ideas to ban Unli rice. That's how Filipinos love their rice.
However, rice cause gaining weight and can cause diabetes. The bad eating habit of rice can cause diseases like a heart attack. An example of a bad eating habit of Filipinos is to eat noodles with rice. Some media suggesting to remove rice from the meal like what western people do.
Some western people don't like rice because it has many carbs but the majority of their population is obese and it's increasingly more. Higher than in the Philippines. It is because they eat a lot of fast food, processed food, and junk foods, maybe that's the worst replacement for rice.
Filipino doctors disagree with the idea of removing rice from the meals of Filipinos. Instead, to promote less rice and meat, and more vegetables. They promote brown rice, red rice, black rice for the replacement of white rice. They realize that rice has health benefits, especially for youth. Only the amount of rice should be in control and also what kind of dish they pair with rice.
My meals are not complete without rice. It's a culture of Filipinos to eat rice in meals. However, like you said, Filipinos abused this. As a result, it affects their health.