Tobacco control advocates welcome Herbosa appointment

Tobacco control advocates have welcomed the appointment of Teodoro Herbosa as the Secretary of the Department of Health which came 18 months after the Marcos administration assumed the government in 2022.

In a joint statement, the HealthJustice Philippines, Parents Against Vape, Action for Economic Reforms and Philippine Legislator's Committee on Population and Development said they are confident that Herbosa will continue to support strong tobacco control efforts, including increased funding for tobacco prevention and stronger regulation of e-cigarette use.

They added that in doing so, it would help reduce cases of tobacco-related diseases.

"We have great confidence in Secretary Ted Herbosa's leadership to address pressing issues of DOH, and the health sector, including the tobacco epidemic in the Philippines, to achieve a healthy country," the group said.

They recalled that Herbosa — during his stint as DoH undersecretary under the administration of President Benigno Aquino III — was very active as a proponent of six tax measures on tobacco products.

Approving the sin tax bill will lead to an increase in the prices of tobacco, which will discourage the youth from smoking and reduce cigarette consumption among established smokers, Herbosa said in 2012 during the campaign to increase tobacco tax.

Republic Act 10351 or the Sin Tax Law was passed in 2013.

"He is a champion of universal health care, health taxes, the welfare of health workers, the use of health technology assessment and the use of digitalization, the access to cheap essential medicines, the promotion of alcohol and tobacco control, and the attention to road safety," said the AER in a statement.

"We especially recognize his contribution to the passage of a series of sin taxes, resulting in higher revenues for government, higher budget for health programs particularly universal healthcare, and significant reduction specifically of smoking prevalence," it added.

The sin tax law, which requires steady increases in excise taxes on tobacco, significantly contributed to the decrease in smoking prevalence among adult Filipinos.

"The dramatic drop in tobacco use of Filipinos as reflected in the recent Global Adult Tobacco Survey — from 23.8 percent in 2015 to 19.5 percent in 2021 — proves that the Philippine government's strong tobacco control measures are working, especially the initiatives to increase sin tax. We expect Herbosa to sustain efforts that will further bring down the smoking prevalence in the Philippines," the PAV said.

"Among the measures are enacting further increases in tobacco tax, institutionalizing the smoke-free policy, strictly regulating vaping and e-cigarette products to protect children and youth, and strengthening the restrictions on warning labels on tobacco products and tobacco advertising," said the PLCPD.

HealthJustice, meanwhile, says that it is confident that Herbosa will prioritize the health and well-being of Filipinos, most especially the Filipino children.

"HealthJustice commits its support and willingness to partner with the DOH in the implementation of the Universal Health Care Law," it said.

Meantime, the PAV also urged Herbosa to strictly implement regulations against e-cigarettes.

The 2019 Global Youth Tobacco Survey revealed that 1 in 7 Filipino students aged 13 to 15 said that they are currently using e-cigarettes.

"The GYTS offers compelling evidence that e-cigarettes and other tobacco products are widely accessible even when a law restricts access to minors. We call on Sec. Ted Herbosa to push for the strong implementation of laws that protect the youth against the harms of vaping and smoking," said the PAV.

Child Rights Network and the PAV earlier this year also urged the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education to take immediate action to protect the children's right to health and an environment free from tobacco and nicotine.

Among the suggestions of the advocacy groups is for DepEd and CHED to release guidelines to ensure that the sale of vapes and e-cigarettes is not conducted within a 200-meter radius of schools.