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MANILA, Philippines – Health advocates and lawmakers are pushing for higher taxes on alcoholic beverages, citing their disruptive effects on Filipino families.
The Philippine Medical Association (PMA) said alcohol — a toxic, psychoactive substance — is linked to over 200 diseases and injury-related conditions, causing 47 deaths every day in the country.
Data from the World Health Organization also show that alcohol consumption caused 2.6 million deaths worldwide in 2019. Of these, 1.6 million people died from noncommunicable diseases such as liver disease and alcohol-related cancers, 700,000 from injuries, and 300,000 from communicable diseases such as tuberculosis.
During the launch of a campaign seeking an alcohol tax hike last Friday, April 24, Dr. Hector Santos, former PMA president, stressed the impacts of alcohol intoxication.
“Marami sa ating mga balitang nakikita: nagsimula sa inuman, nagkasaksakan, buong pamilya kasama na sa away at maraming namamatay. ‘Yan po ang mga nadadala sa emergency room namin. So, pati ang pamilya, kapitbahay, at buong komunidad apektado ng pag-iinom [ng alak],” Santos said.
(As we’ve seen in the news, people would start drinking, then get violent, then their families would get involved. Many have died. These are the kinds of patients brought to our emergency room. So, even the family, neighbors, and the entire community are affected by alcohol drinking.)
Roman Tancioco, a survivor of an alcohol-induced stroke, shared how alcohol intake affected his health and his family’s welfare.
“I was drinking one to two shots of alcohol once a week, thinking it was a safe level of alcohol consumption. But little did I know that it contributed to my two ischemic strokes,” Tancioco recalled.
He had a stroke in 2001, then another in 2022. Since then, he has quit drinking altogether. “I can only imagine what my family would have gone through if I weren’t lucky enough to survive,” Tancioco added.
Akbayan Representative Dadah Kiram Ismula asserted that even small amounts of alcohol are harmful.
“Wala pong safe level pagdating sa alak. Anything that you put into your mouth, basta alak, hindi po siya safe, kahit one shot lang po siya. Ito po ay napatunayan na rin ng medical doctors natin,” Ismula said.
(There is no safe level when it comes to alcohol. Anything that you put into your mouth, as long as it’s alcohol, is not safe, even if it’s just one shot. This has also been proven by our medical doctors.)
‘Affordable’ alcoholic drinks
Paul Roset of the civil society network Sin Tax Coalition pointed out that alcoholic beverages have become more affordable in the market lately compared to some basic necessities.
“Nakakapanlumo dahil sa kabila ng masamang dulot [nito], patuloy pa ring abot-kamay at abot-kaya ang alak sa pamilyang Pilipino. Madalas pa nga, mas mura pa ang isang bote ng gin o isang bote ng beer kaysa sa pagkain, gamot, gasolina, at ibang pangunahing pangangailangan ng mamamayan,” he said.
(It’s appalling that alcohol continues to be within reach and affordable for Filipino families despite its harmful effects. Often, a bottle of gin or a bottle of beer is cheaper than food, medicine, gasoline, and other basic needs of the people.)
Nowadays, a 330-milliliter bottle of beer costs about P50 while a 350-ml bottle of gin is over P70. Pre-mixed alcoholic beverages like flavored beers and coolers can be bought at around P40.
Roset added: “Marami dito, sadyang inilalako sa mga kabataan. Mga makukulay na bote, mga pakete, mga matatamis na lasa, at paggamit ng mababangong pananalita na idinisenyo para akitin ang mga bata, lahat sa murang halaga.”
(Many of these are deliberately marketed to young people. Colorful bottles, packets, sweet flavors, and the use of enticing language designed to attract the youth, all for a low price.)
Increasing alcohol taxes
In October 2025, Akbayan filed House Bill No. 5475, which proposes raising taxes on all alcoholic beverages.
Building on Republic Act No. 11467, the bill proposes a 22% ad valorem tax on distilled spirits — calculated based on the product’s current net retail price per proof so that the tax would go up as the price increases — and a specific tax that would gradually increase every year.
The proposed specifix tax amounts are:
- 2026 – P88 per proof liter
- 2027 – P109 per proof liter
- 2028 – P137 per proof liter
- 2029 – P171 per proof liter
- 2030 – P214 per proof liter
Starting 2031, the specific tax would increase by 6% every year.
For fermented liquors and pre-mixed alcoholic beverages, the bill proposes the following specific tax amounts:
- 2026 – P50 per liter
- 2027 – P55 per liter
- 2028 – P61 per liter
- 2029 – P67 per liter
- 2030 – P73 per liter
With this tax proposal, around P300 billion is expected to be generated in the next six years, which would be directed towards realizing universal health care.
Akbayan also filed House Bill No. 5476, which focuses only on pre-mixed alcoholic beverages, with tax mechanisms similar to its proposal for distilled spirits.
This other measure also includes a 22% ad valorem tax, as well as the following specific tax amounts:
- 2026 – P82 per proof liter
- 2027 – P103 per proof liter
- 2028 – P129 per proof liter
- 2029 – P161 per proof liter
- 2030 – P201 per proof liter
- 2031 – P252 per proof liter
Both bills are pending before the House ways and means committee.
Ismula said, “Kapag tumaas ang tax sa alcohol industry, bababa ang konsumo. Kapag bumababa ang konsumo, mas konti ang magkakasakit, mas konti ang karahasan, at mas konting pamilya ang masisira.”
(When taxes on the alcohol industry increase, consumption will decrease. When consumption decreases, fewer people will get sick, less violence will occur, and fewer families will be affected.) – Rappler.com
