In a press conference on Tuesday, April 8, Philippine Medical Association President Dr. Hector Santos stressed that the upcoming midterm elections provide an opportunity for Filipino voters to “choose leaders who will uphold the right to health.”
Members of the Sin Tax Coalition gathered at the Lung Center of the Philippines in Quezon City on Tuesday to call for legislators and election candidates to prioritize universal healthcare. Santos emphasized that raising the sin tax on tobacco and alcohol products will generate more revenue that can fund the country’s healthcare programs.
Santos was particularly concerned about the impact of tobacco and alcohol on the youth and said universal healthcare is necessary to protect Filipino adolescents. “We are present here today to call attention and sound the alarm for what we call an epidemic of yosi, vape, at alak,” he said. “The government must recognize our call to protect our young people from this epidemic.”
“According to the National Nutrition Survey, the number of adolescents consuming alcohol doubled in two years. From 2021 na merong 1.06 million, naging 2.21 million in 2023 ang umiinom ng alcohol sa mga kabataan,” Santos said. “Ang numero naman ng mga adolescent smokers also doubled. It rose from 500,000 in 2021 [to] 1.06 million in 2023.”
He also said that over 115,000 Filipinos die from diseases linked to smoking, vaping, and drinking every year. He warned that alcohol consumption has led to non-communicable “diseases” like road accidents and domestic violence, and that smoking increases the risk of contracting chronic and non-communicable diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and lung diseases.
The call for universal healthcare comes at the heels of the non-allocation of funds to PhilHealth or zero government subsidy in 2025. PhilHealth, however, assured the public that their services will continue since they have enough reserve funds that have not been used. The decision has since been petitioned, pending resolution by the Supreme Court.
Pro-Health Tax Candidates
The Sin Tax Coalition identified the top senatorial candidates who voted for the passage of the Sin Tax Reform Act of 2020, which saw increased taxes on alcohol up to P50, P45 for e-cigarettes, and P60 for vapor products. These candidates are Senators Pia Cayetano, Bato dela Rosa, Lito Lapid, Imee Marcos, Manny Pacquiao, and former Senators Kiko Pangilinan, Ping Lacson, and Tito Sotto.
The coalition also identified top candidates who had voted for the passage of the Vape Liberalization Act, which allowed 18-year-olds to purchase vapes and transferred regulatory powers from the Food and Drug Administration to the Department of Trade and Industry. These candidates are dela Rosa, Lacson, Lapid, Marcos, Sotto, Senator Bong Revilla, and Las Piñas Representative Camille Villar.
The Congressional Policy and Budget Research Department (CPBRD) warned in March 2025 that higher tax rates on vapes could spur an illegal vape market, which could “lead to tax evasion and potential safety risks associated with unregulated products.” At the same time, the CPBRD said lower tax shares make vapes more accessible to younger consumers.
The sin tax is a kind of health tax levied on products that pose risks to public health, like alcohol, tobacco, and sugary food products. The Philippine Institute for Development Studies reports that sin tax revenues rose to P261 billion in 2021 from the P105 billion collected in 2015.
