Vape Bill To Help Farmers Produce Less-Harmful Cigarette Alternatives, Secure Livelihood

Filipino farmers’ groups with a combined membership of 45,000 asked President Rodrigo Duterte to sign the vape bill into law to secure their livelihood and enable them to produce less harmful and more acceptable alternatives to combusted cigarettes such as e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.

Photo Insert: A Filipino tobacco farmer oversees tobacco crops.

In a letter to the President on January 22, 2022, the National Federation of Tobacco Farmers Associations and Cooperatives (NAFTAC), said that with the help of the vape bill, they would be able to produce less harmful and more acceptable products for consumers.

“Kaya po kami ay umaasa na maipasa at maging ganap na batas na ito para mabigyan proteksyon ang aming kabuhayan at magkaroon ng isa pang produkto ng tabako na katanggap tanggap at mas mababang epekto sa kalusugan kumpara sa tradisyunal na sigarilyo. Ang mga manufacturers ay bibili din sila sa aming produkto na tabako na isa sa kanilang mga raw materials. (We hope that the vape bill will become a law to protect our livelihood and give us new tobacco products that are more acceptable and less harmful to health compared to traditional cigarettes. Manufacturers will eventually buy raw materials from us,” NAFTAC said.

“Kaya po aming mahal ng Pangulo, kami po'y nakikiusap at alam din namin na kayo'y nakikinig sa aming mga mahihirap sa sana po tulungan ninyo kami, bigyan niyo po ng pagkakataong maging ganap na batas ang vape bill para po magkaroon ng seguridad ang kabuhayan ng mga katulad kong magsasaka ng tabako sa Pilipinas. (We ask our dear President to listen to the voice of the poor tobacco farmers and help us by signing the vape bill into law. This will secure the livelihood of tobacco farmers in the Philippines),” said NAFTAC.

NAFTAC president Bernard R. Vicente said they are hopeful that with the help of the vape bill, tobacco farmers will be able to lift their families from the impact of the pandemic and the adverse effects of the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control on the local industry.

NAFTAC said tobacco growers barely survived major challenges last year, including the higher excise tax imposed on tobacco which led to lower sales and farm production as well as the adverse effects of the pandemic on the economy.

While the VNP Bill is meant to regulate alternative tobacco products, this will also help sustain the legitimate tobacco industry and ensure that proper taxes are collected from these new products, according to the group. If signed into law, the vape bill will empower tobacco growers to become a part of the alternative tobacco product industry, which would also be derived from tobacco leaves, it said.

In a separate letter to President Rodrigo Duterte sent through Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea on January 13, 2021, the Philippine Tobacco Growers Association (PTGA) also expressed support for the vape bill which was overwhelmingly approved by the Senate and the House of Representatives to regulate less harmful alternatives to combusted cigarettes.

PTGA president Saturnino Distor said the vape bill will provide a regulatory framework to ensure that these products contribute revenues to the national coffers and support the local agriculture sector.

"Ang PTGA ay humihiling na mapirmahan ito at maging batas upang masigurado na may akmang regulasyon para sa mga bagong produktong ito. (The PTGA is wishing for the signing of the bill into law to ensure that there is an appropriate regulation for new these new products)," PTGA said.

The group said the vape bill will also promote the utilization of local tobacco leaves. “Makakatulong ito ng malaki sa aming mga magsasaka na umaasa sa tabako lalo ngayong panahon ng pandemya. (This will provide a big support to our local farmers who depend on the tobacco industry especially amid the pandemic),” PTGA said.

PTGA said most vaporized nicotine products are imported from other countries to the detriment of local farmers. PTGA said the vape bill will encourage sourcing of raw materials from local farmers and even enable them to tap the export market.

"Kung ang mga alternatibong produktong ito ay lalaki pa sa mga susunod na taon, mas makakabuti na ito ay may akmang regulasyon. Nais namin na kami ay maging bahagi ng potensyal na maitutulong nito hindi lang sa lokal na pangagailangan kundi pati sa posibleng pag-export nito sa ibang bansa. (If the market for these alternative products will grow in the coming years, it will be better to have proper regulation. We also want to become a part of the growth potential of these new products, not only in the local industry, but also in the export market,” PTGA said.

"Sa kalaunan at kasama ang akmang suporta, naniniwala kami na makapagbibigay din ito ng pagkakataon upang kaming mga magsasaka ay maging bahagi ng makabagong mga produktong ito na ang pangunahing sangkap ay nagmumula pa din sa tabako. Sa ngayon ay karamihan sa mga produktong ito ay inaangkat at ang mga magsasaka sa ibang bansa ang nakikinabang dito". (We believe that with proper regulation and government support, these modern nicotine products will allow us to contribute raw materials from tobacco. At present, they are mostly imported, and it is the farmers from other countries who take advantage of these opportunities,” PTGA said.

The PTGA also believes that the Vape Bill will provide the appropriate regulation which can help ensure that correct taxes are collected from these new products—taxes that they said will help their livelihood.

The vape bill is a consolidation of Senate Bill No. 2239 or the “Vaporized Nicotine and Non-Nicotine Products Regulation Act” and House Bill No. 9007 or the “Non-Combustible Nicotine Delivery Systems Regulation Act”.

The Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI) also expressed support for the vape bill to provide a pragmatic approach to address the smoking problem that affects 16 million Filipinos, with the help of less harmful alternatives.

“The enactment of the vape bill will provide a sweet spot for achieving the government's revenue and health objectives,” said Dr. Jesus Lim Arranza, chairman of FPI, which is considered the largest umbrella group of 168 organizations and companies from various Philippine industries.

The bill seeks to combat illicit trade and promote a level playing field between and among foreign and domestic manufacturers, importers, and exporters of vaporized nicotine and non-nicotine products. It requires products to be registered with the Department of Trade and Industry and approval from the Food and Drug Administration for products with medicinal, therapeutic, or reduced risk claims. It aims to regulate e-cigarettes and HTPs as alternatives that can help 16 million Filipino smokers quit and save them from serious health risks.

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