E-cigarettes in Philippines

Philippines: The Bureau of Internal Revenue has published the full text of Republic Act 11900, which will regulate the importation, manufacture, sale, packaging, distribution and use of vaping products. The act will come into force 15 days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two general circulation newspapers, which to the best of our knowledge has not yet happened.

Philippines: The Bureau of Internal Revenue has published an updated list of registered manufacturers and importers of vapour products. According to the authority, any product not included in the list and that does not comply with regulations, such as the health warning requirements, is considered unauthorised.

Philippines: The Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Regulation Bill (Vape Bill), which introduces further regulation of vaping and heated tobacco products, has lapsed into law after president Bongbong Marcos took no action on it. Among the new provisions is the lowering of the minimum purchasing and sale age to 18. The Department of Trade and Industry becomes the authority to set technical standards. The President’s Office is yet to release a copy of the law.

Philippines: The Presidential Office has confirmed to ECigIntelligence that it received the Vaporized Nicotine Products Regulation Bill, which will further regulate vaping products, on 24th June, six days before president Bongbong Marcos took office. If the president does not act on a bill submitted by Congress, it lapses into law after 30 days of receipt.

Philippines: Presidential spokesperson Trixie Cruz-Angeles has told reporters that the new president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr, has given no indication of whether or not he supports the Vaporized Nicotine Products Regulation Bill, which would change regulations on vaping products. Bills approved by the former Congress lapse into law if the president fails to act on it within 30 days of receiving it. The presidential office has not confirmed to ECigIntelligence when the bill was received.

Philippines: After campaigning in a televised briefing against the Vaporized Nicotine Products Regulation Bill, the Department of Health has issued a statement urging president Rodrigo Duterte to veto the bill, which it says would hand its power over all aspects of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco to the Department of Trade and Industry. The bill was approved by the Senate and House of Representatives in January but has not yet been sent to the president’s office.

Philippines: The Department of Health has asked charities, clubs and community organisations in a televised briefing to help it campaign against the Vaporized Nicotine Products Regulation Bill, which will change regulations on vaping and heated tobacco products. The bill was approved by the Senate and House of Representatives in January but has not yet been sent to the president’s office.

Philippines: The Supreme Court has upheld a ruling recognising the regulatory authority of the Department of Health (DOH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over tobacco products. The Philippine Tobacco Institute had argued that tobacco regulation should be in the hands of the Inter-Agency Committee on Tobacco (IAC-Tobacco). The FDA and DOH are the current regulatory authorities for heated tobacco and e-cigarettes.