DOH- Senate Sin Tax Bill approval a victory for health

The Department of Health believes that Senate Sin Tax Bill approval a victory for health.

Secretary of Health Enrique T. Ona lauds yesterday’s passage of Senate Bill 3299 (also known as the Sin Tax Bill), with 15 senators voting for it and only two voting against.

“The passage of this bill is a victory in our campaign to protect our people, especially the young and the poor, from the ill effects of smoking and excessive drinking. At the same time, the additional revenues will be used to fund the expansion of PhilHealth enrolment to the second poorest 20 percent of our population, upgrade and modernize our hospitals and other health facilities, and expand our existing preventive and promotive programs under Kalusugan Pangkalahatan,” Ona said.

The Senate approved version of the bill is estimated to generate incremental revenues of P40 billion in the first year of implementation. The House of Representatives earlier passed its own sin tax bill version, House Bill 5727, as amended, last June 6, 2012. The measure, a priority of the Aquino administration, will be sent to the bicameral conference committee for reconciling conflicting provisions prior to the approval of the President of the Philippines before the year ends.