A lawmaker has filed House Bill 3887 to raise excise taxes on alcoholic beverages to curb excessive drinking and generate additional revenue for the Universal Health Care (UHC) program.
Rep. Nathaniel Oducado of the 1Tahanan Party-list said the proposed law would help reduce alcohol-related health and social burdens, secure funding for improved health services and ultimately save lives.
“This is a win-win measure for all Filipinos,” Oducado said.
He cited the World Health Organization (WHO), which identifies alcohol as one of the leading causes of death and disease globally. In 2019 alone, alcohol use claimed 2.4 million lives worldwide, including at least 40,000 Filipinos.
He said that in the Philippines, the Department of Science and Technology–Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI) reported in its 2023 National Nutrition Survey that 60.3 percent of adults consume alcohol.
More than half of both adolescents and adults who drink engage in binge drinking, a pattern unchanged for decades.
Oducado said alcohol consumption is strongly linked to non-communicable diseases, domestic violence, road accidents and mental health issues. These translate to billions of pesos in direct medical costs and indirect losses from reduced productivity and premature deaths.
“Global evidence consistently shows that raising alcohol taxes is the most effective way to reduce harmful consumption, especially among the youth,” Oducado said.
“At the same time, this measure will generate additional resources to strengthen our Universal Health Care program,” he said.
Based on initial estimates, House Bill 3887 could generate at least P200 billion in incremental revenue over the next six years, ensuring both stronger health protection and greater financial sustainability for the country, he said.
