Tag: Philippines

Officials Draw Fire Over Tobacco Donations

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The Philippines’ Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has drawn fire for allegedly accepting donations from Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Corp. (PMFTC), reports The Inquirer.
According to critics, PMFTC donated three mobile clinics to the agency earlier this year for use in social welfare and disaster response operations.
In a statement released Aug. 9, the advocacy group Parents Against Vape said the “acceptance and promotion” of the tobacco industry by government officials “raised serious ethical, legal and health-related issues.”
“The actions of these government officials and the accompanying display of support could be construed as a blatant endorsement of an industry that is known for its detrimental health effects and are deeply troubling for several reasons,” said Parents Against Vape President Rebie Relator.
The group called for “a thorough investigation” into the action of the officials of government agencies involved, saying it violated several laws and policies.
In February this year, the DSWD’s legal service recommended declining the PMFTC donation, prompting Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian to ask the legal opinion of the Department of Justice (DOJ) in May.
On June 6, the DOJ said it would be OK to accept the donations. Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla maintained that the Civil Service Commission and Department of Health rules on donations cover only officials and employees and do not extend to government agencies and offices in general.
Nonetheless, several former government officials criticized the DOJ and DSWD’s acceptance of tobacco donations, arguing that the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, to which the Philippines is a signatory, forbids government officials and employees from soliciting or accepting gifts, favors or donations from tobacco-related entities.
“Civil service rules could not distinguish the agency actions from the actions of its officers or employees,” said Civil Service Commissioner Mary Ann Fernandez Mendoza. “Otherwise, who will be made accountable for violation of civil service rules if we accept the [DOJ] interpretation? It goes against the principle that public office is a public trust.”
August 12, 2024
Top Court Upholds FDA Authority in Philippines

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The Supreme Court of the Philippines upheld its 2021 decision to grant the country’s Food and Drug Administration regulatory authority over the health aspects of tobacco products, reports the Inquirer.
“All products affecting health, including tobacco products, are covered by the FDA’s mandate to ensure the safety, efficacy, purity, and quality of health products,” the Supreme Court said.
“Thus, the inclusion of tobacco products in the implementing rules of the FDA Act is in accordance with the law,” it added.
The case stemmed from an attempt to stop the enforcement of the FDA implementing rules and regulations. In a case filed in 2011 before the Regional Trial Court of Las Pinas City, the Philippine Tobacco Institute (PTI) alleged that those rules improperly expanded Republic Act No. 9711 by classifying tobacco products as health products.
The PTI argued that under the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003, the Inter-Agency Committee on Tobacco (IACT) had exclusive jurisdiction over tobacco products.
In 2012, the Las Pinas court ruled in favor of PTI and nullified the provisions of the FDA implementing rules and regulations relating to tobacco.
The Department of Health and the FDA then petitioned the Supreme Court for review, which overturned the Las Pinas court decision in 2021. The PTI then challenged the high tribunal’s ruling, but was rebuffed.
The denial of the motions for consideration means the IACT and the FDA will continue to share authority over tobacco, with each overseeing different aspects of the trade.
Under the Tobacco Regulation Act, the IACT is chaired by the trade secretary with the health secretary as vice chair and includes a representative of the tobacco industry as a member. The PTI previously held the position of representing the tobacco industry in the committee.
July 31, 2024
Tracking Legislation Advances in Philippines

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The Philippines’ House ways and means committee on July 23 approved legislation to enhance the tracking of tobacco products through the supply chain, reports Business World.
Under the measure, tobacco companies will be required to implement a digital tracking system on cigarette products to help prevent illicit trade.
Tobacco duty avoidance has caused the government to “lose” around PHP220 billion in revenue over the past four years, according to Representative Jose Ma. Clemente S. Salceda, who heads the House ways and means committee.
The legislation would require manufacturers to fix stamps to cigarette packs, vapes and related products, allowing authorities to determine where and when the product was manufactured.
“We would see where [the cigarette] came from because the tracking system allows us to trace it,” Salceda was quoted as saying. “We will see who brought it here and who sold it, all because of the tracking system.”
The approved legislation also requires tobacco manufacturers and importers to register their products and equipment.
July 24, 2024
Philippines Halts Online Vapes Trade

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The Philippine government has halted the sale, advertising and distribution of vape products online, reports the Inquirer.
“This is a temporary suspension until the e-marketplaces are able to convince us of their compliance with their obligations under Republic Act No. 11900, or the vape law, and other laws and related issuances,” said Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual on July 19.
According to Pascual, the order was prompted primarily by the need to prevent the sale of vape products to minors and ensure that those being sold online meet the safety standards set by law.
Vape companies and online sales platforms must submit a sworn certification of their compliance with the law to be allowed to resume sales.
A recent investigation by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) of 90,000 companies engaged in the vape business revealed that 284 had violated various laws, by selling vapes within 100 meters of a school or by using flavors designed to appeal to minors, for example.
The DTI has confiscated at least PHP32.76 million ($561,454.25) worth of vape products so far this year, mostly for being offered for sale without proper certifications, like the Philippine Standard mark and the Import Commodity Clearance sticker.
In June, the department ordered the mandatory certification of vape products in compliance with the Vape Act, which lapsed into law in July 2022.
While supporting the DTI in its efforts to protect consumers and prevent youth access to vaping products, the Coalition of Asia Pacific Tobacco Harm Reduction Advocates (CAPHRA) said an outright suspension of online sales would not solve the problem.
Instead, the organization argued for greater enforcement of existing laws.
“While the intention behind the suspension is commendable, CAPHRA believes that a more effective approach would be to enhance enforcement measures rather than imposing outright bans that could inadvertently drive consumers back to more harmful combustible tobacco products,” said CAPHRA representative Clarisse Virgino.
July 21, 2024
Disappointing Quit Rates in Philippine Program

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Only one-fifth of individuals enrolled in the Philippine government’s cessation program in 2023 were able to fully quit smoking or vaping, reports the Inquirer, citing a doctor from the Lung Center of the Philippines (LCP).
Of the 144 participants in 2023, only 29 successfully quit, according to Jessica Catalan-Legarda, a doctor in the LCP’s pulmonology department,
Those who did not continue with the program voluntarily dropped out, to which the LCP responded with contact tracing and follow-up calls.
“These voluntary quitters usually go back to smoking and vaping, and based on studies, it takes around seven to eight attempts to successfully quit smoking or vaping,” Catalan-Legarda was quoted as saying.
Successful quitters tended to be between 22 and 44 years of age and have a comparatively high educational background, according to Catalan-Legarda.
June 17, 2024
Philippines: New Vape Rules in June
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The new Vape Law in the Philippines will take effect on June 1. The new rules also apply to all next-generation tobacco products, including heat-not-burn and e-cigarettes. The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) will require all vape products to be registered with the agency on that date, an official said on Tuesday.
At a forum organized by the Bantay Konsumer, Kalsada, Kuryente (BK3) in Makati, DTI Undersecretary Amanda Nograles said the “importation and manufacturing of vaporized nicotine and non-nicotine products and novel tobacco products must now undergo the DTI certification process.”
This means that products must have the Philippine Standard (PS) mark and Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) sticker first before they can be sold on the market.
Nograles said at least 3 companies have already applied for registration, and they urge others to begin the process since the registration may take some time. She clarified that there will be a 6-month transition period to allow all firms to comply.
“We will allow them to sell all the existing inventory. On January 5, 2025, we will do market clearing. There should be no vape products without a PS license and ICC [sticker],” Nograles said, adding that the agency will continue to monitor shops to ensure that no minors will be allowed to buy vape products. They will also check if the vape has marijuana oil.
May 29, 2024
Loans and Grants for Philippine Growers

Photo: PMFTC
The Philippine National Tobacco Administration (NTA) has given growers in Pangasinan PHP21.5 million in of grants and loans for the 2023-2024 cropping season, reports the Philippine News Agency.
About 400 tobacco farmers have taken advantage of the Curing Barn Assistance Program (CBAP), which has a budget of PHP8 million for the covered period. “Through CBAP, they buy the necessary materials to cover their harvest in case of rain or to prevent direct sunlight,” said NTA-Pangasinan branch manager Roger Madriaga.
Madriaga said the NTA also released PHP13.5 million to 705 tobacco farmers in the form of cash and material farm inputs, such as fertilizers and pesticides, under the tobacco contract growing system.
“TCGS has three components, which are financial, technology and marketing. We subsidize the farmers depending on their needs through financial assistance and technology, while we monitor the implementation of the technology,” he said.
Meanwhile, Madriaga said only 1 percent to 2 percent of the more than 2,000 hectares of tobacco plantation in the province have been affected by the El Niño weather phenomenon.
The planting season cut-off date for tobacco is from October to Jan. 15, and farmers may harvest the leaves within 55 days to 60 days.
May 11, 2024
Congress Asked to Pass Economic Sabotage Act

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Tobacco farmers in the Philippines are urging Congress to pass the Anti-Agricultural Economic Sabotage Act to counter smuggling, reports The Manilla Times.
The Philippine Tobacco Growers Association (PTGA) and the National Federation of Tobacco Farmers Association and Cooperatives on May 2 called for Congress to already convene a Bicameral Conference Committee before July.
PTGA President Saturnino Distor emphasized the urgent necessity of passing the bill due to widespread smuggling, which not only affects the agricultural sector but also threatens local farmers and their dependents.
The proposed legislation categorizes the smuggling of agricultural products, including tobacco, as “economic sabotage,” which carries a penalty of life imprisonment.
Additionally, perpetrators will face fines that are triple the value of the smuggled products.
More than 2.2 million Filipinos depend on tobacco for their livelihoods, including more than 430,000 farmers, farmworkers and their family members, according to data from the National Tobacco Administration.
The tobacco farmers said the Philippine government loses about PHP200 billion ($3.5 billion) in revenue annually due to smuggling, with PHP30 billion attributed to smuggled cigarettes alone.
May 6, 2024
Momentum Grows for One-Use Vape Ban: Philippines

Photo: Mihail Reschetnikov
Momentum is building in the Philippines for a proposal by Finance Secretary Ralph Recto to ban disposable e-cigarettes, reports The Philippine Star.
The Department of Health has indicated support for the proposal, just like some senators, but the Department of Trade and Industry, which enforces the country’s vape law, has yet to take a stand.
Eric Singson, mayor of Candon in the tobacco-producing Ilocos Sur province in Northern Luzon, said he was open to the idea. “If it is really hazardous to a person’s health, then it’s OK with me, we will subscribe to regulation, just like the Tobacco Regulation Act,” he said.
Both the Department of Agriculture and National Tobacco Administration have yet to communicate their respective positions.
Several countries in Europe including the United Kingdom, Ireland and Belgium have announced disposable vape bans.
“If that is the trend, then maybe there is a very good reason for banning it. If it’s something of a health concern to the users, especially the minors, then I’m open to it,” Singson told The Philippine Star in an interview in.
In Asia, disposable vapes are already banned in Singapore, Thailand and Taiwan.
Recto proposed the ban in response to the rise in youth vaping and the impact of disposable products on the environment, with illicit e-cigarettes further eroding tax revenues.
April 19, 2024
PMI Eyes Philippines Leaf for Smoke-Free

Photo: Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Co.
Philip Morris International may start using Philippine tobacco in its smoke-free products following the expansion of a factory operated by a local affiliate, reports The Philippine Star.
“We’re also thinking about starting using the Philippine tobacco in the smoke-free products,” said PMI CEO Jacek Olczak during the inauguration of Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Co.’s (PMFTC) factory in Tanauan City, Batangas.
Olczak stated that the quality of the Philippines’ tobacco leaves is “getting better and better.”
“They require even better quality, consistency, etc. But I believe the farmers, the tobacco growers in the Philippines can deliver on that quality,” Olczak added.
PMFTC is a 50-50 partnership between PMI and Lucio Tan’s Fortune Tobacco Corp. The expanded factory will produce PMI’s heated-tobacco sticks under the Blends brand for its smoke-free Bonds product.
PMFTC mixes local tobaccos with international varieties in its products.
“You will find the Philippine tobacco in our products in every country in which we operate,” Olczak said. “So in more than 100 markets, you will find the Philippine tobaccos in the product.”
“We’re very happy with the regulatory environment and the business environment in the Philippines, and we decided to locate this manufacturing here,” he added.
April 16, 2024