As the State of the Nation Address approaches, health advocates are urging President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to prioritize higher taxes on e-cigarettes, alcohol, and sweetened beverages to address youth health challenges and raise revenue for public programs.
The appeal was made by the Youth for Health Coalition and the Sin Tax Coalition, backed by allied lawmakers and an economist, during a press conference on Thursday.
Advocates pointed to a growing health crisis among Filipino youth, citing rising stunting rates and widespread use of alcohol, e-cigarettes, and tobacco products.
Recent nutrition data shows that 25.3% of Filipino children under five were stunted in 2025, the first increase in a decade. This means one in four young children shows signs of chronic undernutrition.
Nicotine use has reached epidemic levels, with one in three Filipinos having tried vaping and 14.8% using both e-cigarettes and conventional cigarettes. Monthly alcohol consumption among those aged 10 to 19 also doubled between 2021 and 2023.
The groups asked the President to place higher health taxes on the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council’s priority list before the address on July 27.
A 19-year-old coalition representative said the administration must fulfill its duty to fund laws that respond to youth health concerns.
A former finance undersecretary argued that current sin tax rates are no longer effective, as consumption of harmful products keeps rising. She said rates must be adjusted to discourage use and support public health financing.
The coalition also called for higher taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages, linking easy market access to high-sugar drinks with worsening stunting.
Two House representatives voiced support for the tax push and related measures. One recently filed a bill to raise excise taxes on alcohol by 25% annually for spirits and 10% for beer and alcopops from 2026 to 2030.
That proposal is expected to yield around P206 billion in additional revenues over the period, with 60% allocated to health programs. The other lawmaker filed a bill to ban smoking and vaping in all public spaces.
Both legislators pledged to advance the measures through committee review and seek Senate allies. They expressed hope the policies would join the council’s priority agenda.
