Tobacco control groups push for Rep. Emilio Abaya excise tax biill on cigarettes

Representative Emilio Abaya’s excise tax bill on tobacco products—a measure President Benigno Aquino III certified as urgent---received on Wednesday a push from tobacco control advocates, who want cigarette prices to rise so the young and poor will be deterred from lighting up the smoking sticks.   Raising the prices of cigarettes is “the most effective way to keep the young and the poor from smoking,” according to Dr. Maricar Limpin, executive director of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Alliance Philippines (FCAP).   “For this, our lawmakers must reform our tobacco tax system at the soonest possible time,” Limpin added.   The last time the country’s laws on sin taxes were amended was in 2004, but the FCAP said the changes had “fatal flaws” because Filipinos’ consumption of   Action for Economic Reforms supports the FCAP stance and cited specific steps, including the lifting of the 1996 freeze on price brackets, imposition of a unitary tax scheme, and pegging future adjustment of tax rates to inflation.   “Combined with a high enough raise in tax rates, these reforms will save at least 300,000 lives. They will also help fund the government’s pro-poor Universal Health Care program and offer alternative livelihoods for tobacco farmers,” added Jo-ann Latuja of AER.   The Abaya bill, according to FCAP and AER, is the measure that can “avert a national health catastrophe” and considers the welfare of the young and the poor.   Department of Health consultant Dr. Anthony Leachon said cigarette smoking and tobacco use are the single largest factor that contribute to the prevalence of non-communicable diseases in countries like the Philippines.   “We need to save the young and poor. Right now, they are the backbone of the nation, its workforce. A sick workforce means a sick nation,” Leachon said.   Dr. Antonio Dans of the University of the Philippines College of Medicine added that over 200,000 Filipinos die each year from non-communicable diseases (NCDs). “This is larger than any epidemic we have ever seen in the country,” Dans said.   An “Affordability Study” on cigarettes earlier presented by AER and HealthJustice shows that Filipinos cigarettes have remained cheap.   “Due to the insufficient tobacco tax increase in 2004, majority of the cigarettes consumed have become cheaper relative to other commodities. While food prices have increased by 59% over the past 10 years, tobacco prices only increased by 34 percent, Latuja said.   “A stick of yosi [cigarettes] is cheaper than an egg, or pandesal—it’s about the same price as kwek kwek.” said Latuja, referring to cheap Filipino street-food made of quail eggs.