The Health department’s proposal for lawmakers to impose a tax on food with high salt content, including tuyo and daing, is inflationary, Senate Majority Leader Migz Zubiri said Sunday.
READ: Extra tax eyed on salty food
Since it would adversely affect the poor Filipinos, Zubiri guaranteed a bill making such a proposal would not pass Congress.
READ: Dominguez, Pimentel balk at ‘salt tax’ plan
He said the added burden would definitely hit the poor as their food like tuyo and daing were very common on their tables especially in the provinces.
“These are simple products being bought by our poor people like tuyo which is very basic in the province, Zubiri said.
“We will not allow this in the Senate.”
Minority Leader and Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. owed to block a bill taxing salty food.
“We can understand the rationale behind taxing alcoholic beverages and sugary drinks. These are inessential food items that are bad for the health of our people, so we can get behind measures to curb their consumption, Abante said.
“However, we must draw the line at taxing food that our countrymen regularly consume, particularly the poor. I believe to tax salty food would be too much. You want the poor to bear the brunt of the tax measure?”
Senators have outrightly rejected the Health department’s proposal aired by Undersecretary Eric Domingo, who cited the alleged health gains from the salt tax aside from revenues.
READ: No to DOH plan to tax ‘tuyo,’ ‘daing’ — senators
But Anthony Leachon, co-convenor of the Sin Tax coalition, which had pushed for added taxes on cigarettes and alcohol products, said the recommendation for salt tax should be studied very well.
He suggested that the Food and Drug Administration come up with a traffic-light labeling on fats, sugars, salts, and calories of food and even beverages.
Acknowledging that it was hard to legislate behavior, Leachon said it was a relative risk “we need to teach, heal and lead as health professionals. “
“We can reduce the intake of salty foods, fats, high-calorie foods, and beverages, he said. With Rio N. Araja