E-cigarettes in Philippines

Global business and regulatory news and updates from the vape industry

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Daily regulatory tracking of the e-cigarette sector. It includes weekly podcasts and monthly compilations

14th January 2025: Philippines: The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has reminded importers and manufacturers of vaping products and heated tobacco products to register for the Philippine Standard (PS) License. Only duly registered products are allowed to be sold and advertised. Non-compliance with the requirements would result in formal charges.
13th January 2025: Philippines: The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has confirmed a decrease in excise tax collection from 2021 to 2024 that led to a drop of more than 20% in revenue from excisable products over the period, media reports. The BIR confirmed the loss of tax revenue during a Senate hearing on the smuggling and illicit trade of these products, in which the panel focused on tobacco products, heated tobacco products, vapour products, cigars, and cigarettes.
10th December 2024: Philippines: Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) commissioner Romeo Lumagui said in a social media post that online vape sellers still need to pay the government for their licence to do business, even if they use online platforms. “Even if the selling of vapes is done online, as long as the sale is done illegally, we will go after them and make them pay for tax obligations with the government,” Lumagui said. He warned that these sites selling vapes online will be blocked by the government.
10th December 2024: Philippines: The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has reacted to social media posts by two vape companies, Flare and Shft, in which they claim they are fully compliant with regulations. According to the DTI, the posts violate consumer protection laws because the companies don’t have a Philippine Standards Licence, which allows them to sell in the Philippine market. Nine brands currently have the licence: Don Bars, Kliq, One Bar, Phantom Vape, Relx, Tomoro, Truez, Vagend, and X-Vape.
9th December 2024: Philippines: Public health advocacy group HealthJustice has called for a total ban on e-cigarettes. After Vietnam's National Assembly approved a resolution to ban e-cigarettes from 2025, former health secretary and HealthJustice board member Jaime Galvez Tan said the Philippines should join the growing momentum across Southeast Asia to ban these products, prioritising the health of citizens and protecting the next generation from the harms of nicotine addiction.
4th December 2024: Philippines: According to a social media post by Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) commissioner Romeo D Lumagui Jr., the BIR has seized more than half a million units of illegal vapes and uncovered more than PHP400m ($6.9m) in tax liabilities through a nationwide crackdown on illegal vape retailers, involving 817 retailers nationwide. In the post, Lumagui urged people to report illegal shops, including online ones.
3rd December 2024: Philippines: Senator Sherwin Gatchalian from the majority bloc Nationalist People’s Coalition party has filed Senate Resolution 1243, calling for an investigation into revenue erosion due to the smuggling of excisable items, such as vapes and tobacco products. Citing a Department of Finance report, the senator showed the government is losing PHP52bn (€844m) annually in potential revenue from the smuggling of vape and tobacco products alone.
26th November 2024: Philippines: The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has issued a press release informing that it has lifted the suspension of trading activities for vape products manufactured by Aerogin and Relx. The suspensions happened in September for alleged violations of the Vape Law (Republic Act 11900) – specifically, points of the law related to the internal revenue fiscal marking requirements. The DTI also lifted a preliminary order/preventive measure order on Flare, Nixx, and Vapengin vape products, but their sales remain prohibited until their respective Philippine Standard (PS) Licences are issued.
19th November 2024: Philippines: Yesterday, 18th November, the Bureau of Customs (BOC) reported the seizure of PHP5.07bn ($86m) in smuggled vape products during the first ten months of 2024, as part of its enhanced anti-smuggling operations. Recent confiscations included PHP12.6m ($214m) in Laguna, and PHP6.475m ($110m) in Manila. Moreover, the BOC destroyed large quantities of forfeited vape items, including 14,100 boxes in April and 28,200 boxes in August, to prevent their re-entry into the market. Customs chief Bienvenido Rubio emphasised the BOC’s commitment to dismantling illegal networks and its ongoing collaboration with other government agencies to address vape smuggling, press reports.
22nd October 2024: Philippines: The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)'s assistant commissioner Jethro M. Sabariaga told the press that the BIR is likely to miss its PHP362.2bn ($6.2bn) excise tax collection goal this year due to declining demand for tobacco products. The commissioner said that a shift to vape products is one of the reasons. “So, a cigarette smoker shifting to vape, who usually consumes 10 to 15 packs of cigarettes a month, will probably just buy one vape product for the month, or worse, one for two months,” he said. He added that the BIR lost around PHP7.2bn ($124m) in potential revenue from seized tobacco and vape products in the first half of 2024.
11th October 2024: Philippines: Jaime Fresnedi, a member of the House of Representatives from the majority bloc Liberal Party, has filed a bill to amend the Vaporised Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Regulation Act (RA 11900). The bill raises the minimum age for sales of vapes and heated tobacco products from 18 to 21 and all age-related requirements to 21. It also bans online sales of these products and changes the competent authority from the Department of Trade and Industry to the Food and Drug Administration. Child Rights Network (CRN) Philippines, a child rights advocacy group, supported the bill.
3rd October 2024: Philippines: Following the publication of amendments to the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Republic Act 11900 (Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Regulation Act), which regulates e-cigarettes, heated tobacco and novel tobacco products, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) published a press release reminding all product manufacturers and importers to apply for product registration and certification, and stating that currently there are ten Philippine Standards licences issued, although three licences are suspended.

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