The Department of Health on Wednesday welcomed the expanded Bureau of Internal Revenue’s list of value-added tax-free medicines.

“I welcome that kasi nga (because) these are drugs that are needed by the people so very important yung VAT exemption because that lowers the price of the medicine,” DOH Secretary Teodoro Herbosa said in an ambush interview.

“One of the things that I want to do is to be in the primary care ay maging (is to be) available yung (the) medicines and if your medicines are cheaper, mas marami akong mabibigyan (I can provide them to more people). So kung magmura ang medicine because or VAT, malaking tulong yun (So if the price or medicines cheapen, it could help a lot),” Herbosa said.

Twenty-one items have been added to the list of medications exempt from the 12 percent VAT, which include medicines for cancer, diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension, kidney disease, mental illness and tuberculosis.

In January 2019, the BIR started exempting drugs for diabetes, high cholesterol, and hypertension from VAT.