Better health from smoking

‘Various civil society groups and other vulnerable sectors’ in the Philippines have appealed to the Senate to ensure the passage of the Universal Health Care (UHC) law that would pave the way for higher tobacco taxes next year, according to a story in The Manila Bulletin.
In a joint statement, the anti-tobacco-use groups asked the Senate Ways and Means Committee chairman Senator Sonny Angara to start hearing the bills filed by Senators Manny Pacquiao and JV Ejercito.
“All we want for Christmas is a commitment that the funding gap of the UHC law shall be addressed through higher tobacco tax rates to be passed by our lawmakers as this has been proven to be a successful health and revenue measure,” said New Vois Association of the Philippines (NVAP) president Emer Rojas.
Meanwhile, Jorge Banal, past president of the Federation of Senior Citizens Associations of the Philippines (FSCAP) for the National Capital Region (NCR) and Quezon City, said the proposed measure would help further curb smoking in the country, especially among young people and the elderly. “The tobacco tax proposals can help save at least one million Filipinos from the dangers of tobacco smoking,” said Banal.
And Caloocan PWD Zone Association (CPWDZA) president Nilo delos Reyes, said that having higher tobacco tax rates would mean a better funding source for UHC.
“The UHC is very promising,” said delos Reyes. “It, however, will need sufficient funding, which the tobacco tax revenue can provide, in order to attain its goal to provide better healthcare for all.