Vape bill to secure livelihood of Filipino farmers, groups say.

MANILA, Philippines - The enactment of the vape bill will secure the livelihood of thousands of Filipino farmers, support the local industry and contribute taxes to the government, according to two major groups of tobacco growers and farmers with 45,000 members.

Philippine Tobacco Growers Association (PTGA) president Saturnino Distor thanked the Senate and the House of Representatives for overwhelmingly passing the vape bill which encourages the manufacturers of these innovative smoke-free products to use locally-produced tobacco.

In a letter to President Rodrigo Duterte through Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea on January 22, 2022, National Federation of Tobacco Farmers Associations and Cooperatives (NAFTAC) president Bernard R. Vicente said the approval of the vape bill provides them a new hope that they will lift their families from the impact of the pandemic and the adverse effects of the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control on the local industry.

'Makakatulong ito ng malaki sa aming mga magsasaka na umaasa sa tabako lalo ngayong panahon ng pandemya. (This will provide a big support to our local farmers who depend on the tobacco industry especially amid the pandemic),' Distor said.

Distor said that aside from keeping the local industry afloat, the vape bill will provide a regulatory framework to ensure that these products contribute revenues to the national coffers.

'Naniniwala din kami na ang vape bill na ito ay magbibigay ng sapat na regulasyon na makakatulong para masiguradong nakokolekta ang tamang buwis sa mga bagong produktong ito-buwis na siya ring nakakatulong sa aming kabuhayan (We also believe that this Vape Bill will provide proper regulation that can help ensure correct taxes are collected from these new products-taxes that can help our livelihood),' he said.

The NAFTAC, said the vape bill will sustain the livelihood of tobacco farmers who are already struggling because of the pandemic.

Vicente noted that with the help of the vape bill, they would be able to produce less harmful and more acceptable products for consumers.

'Kaya po kami ay umaasa na maipasa at maging ganap na batas na ito para mabigyan proteksyon ang aming kabuhayan at magkaroon ng isa pang produkto ng tabako na katanggap tanggap at mas mababang epekto sa kalusugan kumpara sa tradisyunal na sigarilyo. Ang mga manufacturers ay bibili din sila sa aming produkto na tabako na isa sa kanilang mga raw materials. (We hope that...