SocialWatch Philippines
Stay connected
  • Home
  • About
    • About Us
    • Convenors and Secretariat
    • Core Strategies
  • News Room
    • Media Releases
    • Features
    • News
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Past Events
  • Programs
    • Social Developments and MDGs
    • Alternative Budget Initiative
    • People's Public Finance Institute (PPFI)
    • Regional and Global Initiatives
  • Media Hub
    • Publications
    • Photo Gallery
    • Videos
  • Knowledge Base
    • Information Materials
    • Presentations
    • Documents
  • Contact Us

Media Releases


Features


News



Media Releases


SWP to Senator Angara: Senator Ejercito has done his part to raise tobacco tax; now it’s your turn | SWP PR
2 Oct 2018

SOCIALWATCH PHILS·TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2018     ​

​SWP to Senator Angara: Senator Ejercito has done his part to raise tobacco tax; now it’s your turn

Social Watch Philippines (SWP) has once again challenged Senate Ways and Means Committee Chairman Sonny Angara to do his job and start holding meetings on the proposed legislation on increased tobacco tax or Senate Bill 1605.

Senator Joseph Victor JV Ejercito, the proponent of Senate Bill 1605 which raises tobacco tax to P90/pack says that the measure is meant to ensure that there will be less new smokers. Furthermore, it is a source of additional funding for Senate Bill 1896 or the Universal Health Care bill (UHC).

Meanwhile, SWP continues to express its disappointment on the inaction of Senator Angara as the bill has been pending for almost a year without public hearings and consultations, despite citizens’ clamor for tobacco tax increase.

“Senator Angara must, in the name of all poor Filipino people who voted and trusted him, act on the bill. Since last year, various citizens’ groups have been calling on the Senator to give attention to the children, young people, and poor Filipinos whose health and lives are being affected by smoking day by day. We don’t understand what is taking him too long, ” SWP said.

Senator Angara, in his tweet reply to SWP’s press release, justified his failure to act on the bill by saying “[It is] not true [that there is] inaction. Taxes on cigarettes were increased this year. For further/newer increases must originate from the House under the Constitution.”

SWP belies Angara's claim. According to them, the Senate and House of Representatives are a bicameral legislature where public hearings and technical working groups on filed bills can be conducted independently. The Senate always has the option of coming up with a better tobacco tax bill compared with the one passed in the Lower House.

“Senator Angara should not muddle the issue and hide behind the initiative of the House of Representatives to justify his legislative inaction so that the public will forget that he has been sitting on a bill calling for tax increase on tobacco for almost a year,” SWP said.

Meantime, Ejercito assured the public of the likelihood that the UHC Bill will be passed this October. However, SWP also cites the lack of funding for the implementation of the bill which requires around P270 billion for the first year alone, and that the immediate increase in tobacco tax is a viable funding source.

Ejercito also expressed preference to taxing tobacco over oil products as a revenue-generating measure given the negative impact of the latter on the rise of goods and services. Increasing taxes on tobacco, on the other hand, will increase cigarette prices and will thereby lessen the number of anticipated new smokers in the country. Currently, cigarette price in the Philippines is still the cheapest compared to neighboring countries in Asia.

SWP, together with its allied organizations, has been pushing for the passage of the two linked proposed bills that are already pending in the Senate: tobacco tax increase to P90/pack and a people-centered Universal Health Care, through Senate Bills 1605 and 1896, respectively.
​
The group reminded Senator Angara that his mandate as a legislator is to serve the Filipino people and not corporate interests in the country. ###


#TaxTobaccoToTheMaxNow #TaxTobaccototheMax4UHC #RaiseTobaccoTax4UHC #health #social #yosi #sigarilyo #smoking
 
Isagani R Serrano Marivic Raquiza Jeck Reyes-Cantos Rene Raya Janet Crndng Mars Mendoza Sheic Sims Dhel Lubyo AKTIB Philippines Carol Claudio Tax Tobacco to the Max Elijah San Fernando RoseAnn Batuigas Maria Fatima Villena Ralph Emerson Degollacion Lottie Salarda Ryan Earnest Goingco Pineda Bawas Bisyo Bawas Bisyo Youth for Sin Tax Movement Alternative Budget Initiative Health Cluster Alternative Budget Initiative Health Cluster

Back to top

SWP to Senator Angara: Senator Ejercito has done his part to raise tobacco tax; now it’s your turn 
SWP turns-over 200k signatures to Sen. Ejercito in support of UHC & Tobacco Tax increase
​SWP slams Senator Angara’s inaction on tobacco tax increase bills in Senate
SWP urges legislators to prioritize the health workers in the UHC 
SWP pushes for citizens participation in the Budget Reform Bill, favors DBM’s cash-based budgeting
​Youth staged support to UHC in Senate; Social Watch PH proposed amendments and new provisions
Social WatchPH urges Senator Angara to act on tobacco tax increase
Social Watch Philippines calls on President Duterte to support the Universal Health Care Bill
SWP appeals to Pres. Duterte to strongly push for mandatory participatory mechanisms in the Budget Reform Bill
Social Watch PH urges Senator Angara to act on unitary tobacco excise tax increase bill
Social Watch PH calls Pres. Duterte to certify max increase of tobacco sin tax bill as urgent legislation like UHC 
Social Watch PH to Gov't: "Institutionalize Participatory Governance in the Budget Reform Act"
Improved Financial Reporting in 2018 Budget is Gain for Fiscal Transparency 
Bicam shameful act on Tobacco Tax puts Universal Health Care Program in jeopardy
Angara should resign due to conflict of interest 
Civil Society Group to Senators: Support the Tobacco Tax Increase to the Maximum Level Now 
Citizen's assemblies for unitary increase of tobacco sin tax
SWP to Senate: "Keep 2018 Budget pork-free" 
"What's in it for us?' Social Watch to hold forum on universal social protection floor today
Anti-pork group found 2017 Budget still far from "real change" 
Press Budget watch group urged President Duterte to put Yolanda on top of his agenda
Social Watch Philippines questions 'pork barrel in 2017 Budget 
Social Watch sees adequate funding in NEP to address poverty, unfinished Yolanda reconstruction
In the Spotlight: Social Watch offers an alternative Philippine 2030 Agenda 16
Requiem for a dream: Congress' power lost in appropriation
Budget watchdog SWP joins 6.12.14 protest coalition
Social Watch questions
gov’t poverty stats
Ex-treasurer scores P282.2-billion 
presidential ‘pork’ for ‘Yolanda’
Iskul Bukol: all about lumps in the 2014 budget
Teachers decry meager budget for basic education
Negros Oriental remains in the top ten as the poorest provinces all over the country
Proposed 2015 budget riddled with ‘lumps’
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.