MANILA, Philippines – President Benigno Aquino III signed the Sin Tax reform bill into law Thursday, saying it was an early Christmas gift for Filipinos.
“Today we sign, finally, a law that will serve as an early Christmas gift for millions of Filipinos,” Aquino said in Filipino.
“We aim to make health benefits available for all, regardless of wealth, the life of Filipinos is sacred,” he said.
The Sin Tax Bill aims to raise additional revenues by increasing taxes in so called “sin products” such as alcohol and cigarettes.
A large part of the revenues that will be collected would go to the government’s health care program and for the construction and upgrade of local and major hospitals nationwide.
The bill is also expected to lessen the number of smokers and alcohol drinkers in the country because of the increase in prices.
Aquino reassured workers and farmers in the tobacco industry that they will not lose the benefits they have been receiving before.
“The benefits you received before will not disappear; it will actually increase, as the support from the government grows stronger,” Aquino said.
“Many thought it was impossible to pass the Sin Tax Reform Bill: the enemy is strong, loud, organized, and has deep pockets,” he added. “But like what has been proven time and again: nothing is impossible to a Philippines that is rowing in one direction, has the heart in the right place, and ready to stand on principles,” Aquino said.
The newly signed bill will take effect January 1 of 2013.
“As long as [the Filipino people], our boss, is behind our backs, no obstacle cannot be overcome,” Aquino said.
RH BILL
To me, I guess I am a Pro-RH bill because I am aware to what is happening to country right now, it can help our country seize the blooming population of our country and I believe that lazy and irrelevant parenthood is one of the main problem why there is POVERTY. We can build a nation that can provide need to our family. A nation that can follow fast to the new century and can never be left behind. Because of POVERTY, our country is being pulled down. And this bill can help for the couples married or unmarried because it contributes more to the knowledge to couples to have a good family planning. We all know that couples demand to have sexual intercourse and so by these, they can ensure a happy family and will not boost in numbers. And another thing is the Sex Education, to me I approve this so the students can help especially, their young minds to decrease the pregnancies of teens. I know I’m against the church and the law of God but I can see the future, if the population keep increasing fast trash will increase also, it is...[continues]
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
The website justs adds the fact that their is an employment decrease and that this proposition might help but it mite not, it depends on the way you see it so this is still up for discussion. Taxing tobacco will create more funding to…
- 161 Words
- 1 Page
Satisfactory Essays -
Tobacco has been a cash crop in America since the first colonists settled here. In fact, many historians have said America would not exist as we know it without the original routes of tobacco here. While there are significant health risks with tobacco, it is an essential part of the American economy. In 2011, the huge sum of 17,653,708,000 dollars were collected in revenue from taxation on cigarettes (Tobacco Tax Revenue). Apart from this immediate benefit of the taxes, it also dissuades people, particularly youth, to smoke. “Every 10 percent increase in the price of cigarettes reduces consumption by about 4 percent among adults and about 7 percent among youth”…
- 1982 Words
- 8 Pages
Powerful Essays -
If Proposition 56 is passed during the Ballot of 2016, many lives will be saved from the wrath of tobacco products. Many consumers of tobacco products are slowly dying after every toke taken because of the chemicals in each cigarette. Now tobacco companies are spending millions to defeat Proposition 56 because in every other state that’s raised tobacco taxes, smoking rates go down (Yeson56). If smoking rates are going down because of the tax increase, that means that less smokers. The lower the rate of smokers will mean less death caused by tobacco production and more healthier lives. “In California alone, some 40,000 adults die each year as a result of smoking or secondhand smoke, and the amount spent annually on healthcare directly related…
- 1161 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
In the days of prohibition, teetotalers felt accomplished in their efforts in banning alcohol consumption on a federal level, much to the chagrin of adults across the nation who enjoyed a good drink. Once the lame duck amendment abolished its predecessor, governments saw that it could capitalize on the high demand for the substance, and thus heavily taxed it, bringing in substantial revenue. Colorado has similar plans with its legalization of marijuana thanks to the passing to proposition 64. The state stipulated that it will “enact an excise tax of up to 15 percent on wholesale sales of non-medical marijuana, the first $40 million of which will be directed to the state 's public school construction fund each year” (Regulate). Alcohol and marijuana can have similar economic benefits, and with states making education cuts, an added source of revenue would be greatly appreciated.…
- 1356 Words
- 6 Pages
Powerful Essays -
The primary source of US tax law is Congress. Power to initiate tax legislation is vested in the House of Representatives but all tax bills must pass both houses and be signed into law by the President. Many times the details of the legislation are not dictated by Congress, but left to the Treasury Department which adopts regulations (that have the force of law) to spell out the details as well as interpret the statutes and provide guidance on the law. In addition, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issues rulings that address the application of the law to specific fact situations.…
- 1272 Words
- 6 Pages
Good Essays -
Sin taxes are one of the more controversial taxes out there. They are basically a form of indirect taxation (which has its pros and cons) on goods and services which society considers to be moral ills.…
- 5246 Words
- 21 Pages
Powerful Essays -
This paper examines the use of sin taxes in the United States. First, the paper provides a basic understanding of sin taxes, current definition, and history. Next, the paper outlines the goods and services most commonly targeted by sin taxes and provides information about the effectiveness of these taxes to raise revenue and accomplish policy outcomes. Common goods and services targeted by sin taxes include; tobacco, alcohol, fuel, hazardous chemicals, gambling, prostitution, pornography, and unhealthy foods. Lastly, the paper will examine the ethical and moral implications of sin taxes from the perspective of those who support and oppose the use of sin taxes in the United States.…
- 5063 Words
- 21 Pages
Best Essays -
An increase in sin taxes does not just affect the individual with the addiction. Increasing the sin taxes on alcohol and tobacco simply to cover rising medical costs would have an adverse effect on every household member. If the head of household is addicted to either of these vices, and is also the individual in charge of the household budget, monies that would normally be allocated for other expenses are spent on the increased tax instead (Black, et al., 2006). Each member of the household is going to suffer. This is true for every income group. It does not matter how much excess money is left over at the end of the month. An increase in sin taxes for both tobacco and alcohol would have an effect on every household. For the lower income households the extra sin taxes could mean the difference in whether or not the rent is getting paid for the month, or if there is going to be food in the table. Those in favor of increasing the sin taxes are not thinking that this extra money that is now a tax would be better spent on basic living expenses.…
- 1896 Words
- 8 Pages
Better Essays -
-Should taxes on goods detrimental to people’s health (tobacco, alcohol, etc.) be increased in exchange for a decrease in other taxes (property, income, etc)?…
- 1109 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
Even though alcohol and tobacco are legal and already cause enough problems why would you want any…
- 564 Words
- 3 Pages
Satisfactory Essays -
The first problem the article states is that the Federal Government is threatening to raise taxes on cigarettes and issue fines for any underage smoking. Fining underage smoking could be a possible ploy for the government to raise taxes on all tobacco products. By issuing a $3,000 fine for every underage smoker, the government would generate as much as 6 billion dollars a year. In addition to the fines, President Clinton may also propose to put a 25-cent-per-pack increase in the Federal tax on cigarettes.…
- 1046 Words
- 5 Pages
Better Essays -
In today’s society tobacco and alcohol make up a huge cost in our country. The costs that are associated with smoking and drinking related illnesses can’t be paid for by individuals who smoke and drink. For example, Parish (2004) stated that “Medicare and Medicaid programs in this country already assume a great deal of the burden of payment for smoking related illnesses…these two programs alone spend about $43.5 billion of the total $75 billion spent on smoking-related healthcare each year” (Conclusions and Recommendations, para. 1). Medicare and Medicaid programs only cover indigent care which in turn means, only the portion of necessary care which the individual cannot pay themselves. This is a problem because the United States government in turn foots the bill, and is already in a finical crisis. By levying a sin tax, the American government can impose the finical burden back on the original starting point.…
- 838 Words
- 4 Pages
Good Essays -
“Sin taxes” on cigarettes and alcohol are designed to boost revenue, not improve public health…
- 747 Words
- 3 Pages
Better Essays -
Consequences of alcohol tax rates on beverages consumption and alcohol-related complications have been widely studied over the past fifty years. Nowadays, the challenge for both economists and politicians is to estimate and form a tax level that maximizes social prosperity and most efficiently increases incomes. Alcohol taxation is an essential component of a complete alcohol control strategy. Even if any increase in alcohol tax rates will not cause a significant reduction in total selling, the growth in tax income will be greatly more than any decline in consumption and sales. Moreover, any drop in sales would likely effect in a decrease in alcohol issues and…
- 1268 Words
- 6 Pages
Good Essays -
President Benigno Simeon “PNoy” Aquino III delivered his fourth annual State of the Nation Address in Batasang Pambansa Complex, Quezon City on July 22, 2013 with the theme, “Sa Gitna ng Daang Matuwid.”…
- 1722 Words
- 7 Pages
Good Essays