In an effort to curb consumption, the organization requests a 6.5% yearly increase in alcohol costs.
![In an effort to curb consumption, the organization requests a 6.5% yearly increase in alcohol costs.](/content/images/size/w2000/2024/07/Hivenews--In-an-effort-to-curb-consumption-the-organization-requests-a-65-yearly-increase-in-alcohol-costs.jpg)
A 6.5% yearly increase in the price of alcoholic beverages is demanded by civil society organizations and health advocates in order to curb consumption among Filipinos, especially among the youth, and improve both the economy and public health.
![](http://mnktech.iptime.org:7002/content/images/2024/07/Hivenews--In-an-effort-to-curb-consumption-the-organization-requests-a-65-yearly-increase-in-alcohol-costs_1.jpg)
“Ang target ay mabawasan ‘yung pag-consume [ng alcohol]. Ang most effective way ay taasan ‘yung presyo kasi ‘di ba kung ikaw, bibili ka ng alak, hindi mo naman iniisip ‘yung tax, ang iniisip mo lang ay ‘yung presyong nasa bote,” AJ Montesa, fiscal policy team leader for Action for Economic Reforms, told reporters.
The coalition's data indicates that 67% of Filipinos are in favor of increasing the excise rates on alcoholic beverages.
This was based on a countrywide poll carried out in 2024 with 1,765 respondents by the local research firm WR Numero and 1,000 respondents by Vital Strategies, an international public health organization operating in over 80 countries.
According to a 2021 Global Burden of Disease study, excessive alcohol use ranks third among behavioral risk factors in the Philippines, with Filipinos between the ages of 20 and 24 consuming the most. The government intends to raise the tax on alcoholic beverages by approximately 6.5% per year in order to decrease alcohol usage. This would double the levy, making the total tax approximately 13%.
In keeping with the World Health Organization's 2030 target of a minimum 20% decrease in dangerous alcohol consumption, Rep. Ray Florence Reyes of the Anakalusugan Party list intends to file a bill that would raise the excise duty on alcoholic beverages in order to increase government tax income and support universal healthcare, police enforcement, the fight against drunk driving, and the ban on sales to minors.