Senate approves graphic health warnings for cigars

MANILA – The Senate approved on third and final reading the bill mandating Graphic Health Warnings (GHW) on cigarette packs.

Yesterday, Lawmakers convened a bicameral conference committee on the graphic health warning bill to settle conflicting provisions of a bill.

Voting 18 affirmative, zero negative and zero absentions, lawmakers are now preparing for the final phase of the battle in the bicameral conference committee where representatives from the Senate and the House of Representatives will have to thresh out measures that will protect and educate the people about the dangers of cigarette smoking.

Both chambers have to ratify the bicameral report first before the final bill is transmitted to Malacañang.

The bill is expected to be passed and made into law before Congress adjourns sine die on June 11, 2014.

The Philippines is a signatory to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which requires the implementation of “large, rotating health warnings on all tobacco product packaging and labeling.”

The graphic health warning bill is seen as a necessary supporting law to the country’s sin tax law as it can help bring about a further decline in the number of Filipino smokers.

In the House version, the graphic health warning will only cover less than 40 percent of the cigarette packs and be placed at the bottom.

Health advocates, however, criticize the “watered down” version of the House bill, which seeks to mandate that only 40 percent of the bottom part of cigarette packs will be covered with the image.