BACKGROUND: The Philippines' tobacco industry interference score has been consistently climbing at an upward trend over the years. The tobacco industry did not waver in their agenda to influence the public governance setting during the periods covered in the 2022 and 2023 Tobacco Industry Interference Reports, when the Philippines was undergoing significant changes. These included transitioning to a new normal post-Covid-19 and adapting to shifts in national leadership.
METHODS: This report covers incidents of tobacco industry interference that took place from July 2022 to March 2023. This assessment is based on the Tobacco Industry Interference Index Questionnaire, which was formulated to monitor country progress in implementing WHO FCTC Article 5.3 in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region.
All information in this report was obtained from publicly accessible and verifiable sources, which include official websites of government agencies and private corporations, online news platforms, among others. The entire report was circulated to civil society groups and experts for review and validation.
RESULTS: The key findings of the study are as follows: (1) The tobacco industry actively participated in Congress deliberations and succeeded in lobbying for provisions in their favor under the Vape Regulation Law of 2022. (2) Tobacco companies were relentless at conducting numerous CSR activities, many of which were related to the Covid-19 pandemic. They worked behind layers of partnerships with other organizations to make their intent to influence the government seem subtle.
CONCLUSIONS: The study concluded that there is a need to align laws and policies with WHO FCTC, which likewise needs greater recognition as part of the national legal system. A stricter compliance of FCTC 5.3 related policies such as the Civil Service Commission-Department of Health Joint Memorandum Circular No. 2010-01 is key to preventing the industry from influencing national and local policies.