HEALTH AND WEALTH AT THE SAME TIME

How can you care for the health of the Filipinos and at the same time, gain wealth?

Dearest readers, welcome to HEALTH AND WEALTH AT THE SAME TIME!

In partial fulfillment of our performance task in Geometry, I am here to blog about the Sin Tax Bill. The purpose of this performance task is to share my knowledge and point of view of my topic, which is, SIN TAX BILL. More importantly, the aim of this task it to associate and apply proving in Geometry with proving other topics in the daily living through logical reasoning following the aspects of education, health and government and tourism and lifestyle. Now, what do you expect to see in this blog? First is the fundamental definition of the bill, its benefits, advantages, my opinion regarding this so-called “Sin Tax Bill”, opinions of others and whether this should be passed or not.

Pondering on the thought of the health of the Filipino people, I really wonder why people smoke. Why people are addicted, or more like, obsessed with smoking. Are you? I hope not.  Is there even a law that bans smoking? I think there’s none. But since we, as human beings, have freedom and free will, we still have our own choice to smoke or not especially to my fellow youth. Smoking will put a mark on your life span especially if you smoke at such a young age. But as long as there is production of vices, such as tobacco and liquor products, I don’t think it will be that easy to discourage people especially the youth from smoking.

Luckily, our lawmakers have passed House Bill 5727 or the known SIN TAX BILL in the Congress. Have you ever heard of this bill? Probably not. This is bill has been overdue for so many months now. But what’s more is that this is one of the most contentious or controversial bills following the footsteps of the Reproductive Health Bill of having debates, criticisms, controversies, documentaries, reports and so much more.

Stop. Enough talk for a while. So, are you in? Want to know about the Sin Tax Bill? And my point of view on this bill whether this should be passed or vetoed? Now, if you want your political or more like civil rights to deepen, then scroll down and let’s have a trip down the road. Come on! Let’s go and explore the inner depths of one of the most contentious bills in this administration: HOUSE BILL 5727 or the SIN TAX BILL.

What is the Sin Tax Bill?

Do you know what a sin tax is? Or do you have an idea on one of the most contentious bills in the Senate is? It is HOUSE BILL 5727: SIN TAX BILL.

Before going any further, let us define what a “Sin Tax” is. A “Sin Tax” is a tax applied to a market activity that generates negative effects. It is the tax that is added to products or services that are seen as vices, such as alcohol and tobacco. This type of taxes is needed by our government to discourage individuals from partaking in such activities. These taxes also provide a source of government revenue. (Investopedia, 2012)


The Sin Tax Bill, also known as the House Bill 5727, is a proposed law that aims to increase tax rates on two of the most affordable vices which have truly been a killer to the health of individuals, the tobacco and liquor products. 

With these higher taxes that will increase the revenue of our government, it also aims to upgrade the healthcare facilities, units, services and personnel in our country.

Did you know that tobacco is the only legal consumer product that kills its users and has a big industry for manufacturing?

If you will remember the State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Benigno ‘Noynoy’ Aquino III, the Sin Tax Bill is one of the “priority bills” in his administration, as what he stated.

"We wish to achieve Universal Health Bill and have adequate equipment, facility and staff to meet the needs of our health institutions. In our response to it, much can be contributed by the Sin Tax Bill. May this bill be passed into law as soon as possible; reducing the vices, yet increasing funds for health." – (Translated Version from Filipino to English, SONA 2012 of President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, President of the Republic of the Philippines)

Why  should the Sin Tax Bill  be passed as a law? 

Good day, dear readers! Before proceeding, why don't you watch a video about the SIN TAX BILL. Here goes!

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgR-jKDxShQ (Youtube, ABSCBN News Channel (ANC), Dessa Jimenez' Youtube Video)  

The purpose of this bill is to meet the financial needs of our health programs. But more importantly, it also aims, as stated above, to increase the tax rates of tobacco and liquor to decrease the number of people engaged in these kinds of vices, especially the youth and children.

What are the other things the legislative, specifically the senators and the executive have to consider to approve the sin tax bill? What will this bill benefit us, the Filipino citizens?

So, did you hear it? Yes! You heard it right! "Nakakamatay ito kaya kailangan yung tax ay pamatay din." Can you believe that our country is the number one smoking country in Southeast Asia? And that's why many people die annually from smoking-related diseases. Now to deepen further on why should this bill be passed, let's now proceed to the health and financial aspect. 

First, in the health aspect: the Department of Health urges the senators to look at the bill as a health bill and not just a revenue measure for the government. Senators must put the health of the Filipino people above all other considerations. 

Based on the research I did of surveys/statistics conducted regarding smoking here in the Philippines, I came up with three results: 

1. 2 out of 5 youths are smokers. Many start smoking at 11 years old. (Gio Tingson, National Youth Commisioner, 2012)

2. Every ten minutes, one Filipino dies from smoking. Majority of these deaths are from the poor. (Nanay Salve Basiano, Representative of the Poor, 2012)

3. Last year (2011), P177 billion was spent on smoking-related diseases. (Dr. Ezperanza Cabral, Former DOH Secretary, 2012)

See how smoking slowly kills the lives of Filipino people? The biggest smoking-related disease is the lung cancer. It can be attributed through smoking and exposure to second hand smoke. And through smoking, it is not just the smokers themselves that are at high risk of suffering the high consequences of smoking but also of the individuals who are exposed to smoking, not because they smoke but because they live with smokers. Aside from cancers, tobacco also causes other diseases that kill Filipinos. These deadly diseases are heart attack, stroke and COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). And yet many Filipinos especially the youth, I repeat, ESPECIALLY THE YOUTH are smokers, slowly putting an end on their lives at such a young age. And because of these smoking-related diseases, the government has spent big amounts of government income. Instead of pushing through with some health programs and other agendas, the funds are spent on smoking-related diseases. Tobacco products have low taxes yet receive great numbers of consumption by Filipinos all over. 

 If the Sin Tax Bill is pushed through, taxes will reduce tobacco use by the youth and will prevent early death for Filipinos, especially the poor. The youth, which we consider the hope of the future of our country, has become the new targets of tobacco companies because they have a longer life span than older smokers. 

In the financial aspect of the Sin Tax bill, the tax of a cigarette pack that presently costs P2.75 will be increased to P30. At the same time, by increasing the tax rate of tobacco products, the producers will have to increase the price of tobacco eventually to a point where youth cannot afford it, thus preventing young people from taking up this deadly habit. There will be an additional P400 billion pesos of the government funds if this is implemented. These funds will go to universal health care, including expansion of the National Health Insurance Program, upgrading of health care facilities and improving access to quality health care services, public health programs including research and development. 

(Source: http://www.gov.ph/sin-tax/, Department of Finance)

Now, let's look at a GMA-News report regarding the SIN TAX BILL.

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-0HWkzeaQs (Youtube; GMANEWS.TV) 

These are the benefits of the SIN TAX, according to different Filipinos from different social classes:

1. “SIN TAX bill will fund Universal Healthcare for every Filipino.” –Rep. Jun Abaya, 1st district Cavite, 2012

2. “For a healthy nation that will strengthen the economy.” –Winnie Monsod, Economist, 2012

3. “And alternative livelihood.” – Ka Jimmy Tadeo, Farmer, 2012

For this bill to be passed, I urge the Philippine legislators to put the health of the Filipinos as the primary concern in approving this measure. It is right and just to tax the tobacco industry considering the billions of pesos that our healthcare system is forced to carry because of the disease burden from smoking. Most importantly, the most important group of beneficiaries of the sin tax law will be children and youth who will not start smoking and will be protected from second hand smoke of adults. This bill is supported by many health institutions and pro-health citizens. We can stop this.  Approval of the sin tax bill would eventually push the prices of tobacco products high enough to reduce consumption and discourage the youth from smoking and encourage adults to quit. APPROVAL OF THE SIN TAX BILL CAN SAVE THE HEALTH OF THE FILIPINO YOUTH AND CHILDREN.





References:
Website Links

• http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/tag/house-bill-no-5727
• http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/150395/lawmakers-told-go-easy-on-%E2%80%98sin%E2%80%99-taxes
• http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/162805/aquino-supports-sin-tax-reform-bill
• http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/209433/palace-wants-house-sin-tax-version
• http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/234379/aquino-tells-legislators-pass-sin-tax-bill
• http://www.philheart.org/ver1/images/upload/sintax.pdf
• http://everythinginbudget.blogspot.com/2012/05/house-bill-5727-higer-excise-tax-on.html
• http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2012/07/24/mining-sin-tax-bills-endorsed-233684
• http://upm.edu.ph/upmsite/downloads/announcement/pro%20health%20citizens2.pdf
• http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=862069&publicationSubCategoryId=63

Videos and Documentaries
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqWn0DpKmnY
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSkrlHW-y94&feature=related
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcGn-NjAGGU&feature=related
• http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/10/22/12/use-miriams-sin-tax-bill-experts-urge-senators

Photos/Pictures
• Produced by Pro- Health Citizens 
(http://upm.edu.ph/upmsite/downloads/announcement/pro%20health%20citizens2.pdf

• http://quierosaber.wordpress.com/2012/10/13/sin-tax-bill-eliciting-controversy/

• http://www.gov.ph/sin-tax/

• Department of Finance