We can’t let the tobacco industry hijack Filipinos’ health

(Unity statement of health advocates, experts, sectoral groups, and frontliners vs tobacco industry interference)

Let us be clear: in safeguarding Filipinos’ health, tobacco companies are neither allies nor friends.

The ongoing global pandemic has demonstrated the need for governments to have a strong public health system. Our Constitution declares that the Philippine government has the duty to promote and protect the public’s health. This duty is endangered when policies that aim to insulate government bureaucracy, officials, and policymaking from the profit-vested interests of the tobacco industry are removed, weakened or disregarded.

In 2010, the Department of Health (DOH) and the Civil Service Commission (CSC), in line with our obligations under the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), released Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) 2010-01. It secures policymaking from tobacco industry interference and provides a code of conduct requiring government officials to reject unnecessary interaction and engagement with the tobacco industry.

We, the undersigned, health advocates, public health experts, sectoral groups and frontliners affirm our support to DOH-CSC JMC 2010-001. The joint memorandum is among the policies that enable us to effectively implement evidence-based prevention strategies to reduce tobacco use and ultimately prevent deaths due to non-communicable diseases.

We reject and denounce the tactics and strategies employed by the tobacco industry and their front groups seeking to relax tobacco control policies in the country. In particular, we condemn the tobacco industry’s exploitation of the ongoing health crisis by using corporate social responsibility and donations to sanitize their name and distract the public from their role in the deaths, injuries, and the ruin of millions, worldwide.

The tobacco industry’s PR stunts can never hide the fact that annually, 117,000 Filipinos die from tobacco-related diseases. No donation from the tobacco industry can account for the 210 billion pesos annual economic loss due to tobacco-related hospitalization and productivity losses.

No act of corporate social responsibility can mask the reality that the tobacco industry should be held liable for smokers and non-smokers being more susceptible to severe COVID-19 symptoms due to respiratory problems and comorbidities caused by tobacco products and secondhand smoke.

We urge our government leaders, officials, and legislators to remain steadfast against moves by the tobacco industry and their fronts to ease policies on tobacco control. In fact, these policies should be upheld and their implementation strengthened.

There is no doubt: the move to repeal the JMC is in the interest of the tobacco industry. Removing this important wall between the Philippine bureaucracy and tobacco influence is serving Filipinos’ health on a silver platter to the tobacco industry and its profit-driven interests.

We urge our leaders: public health over profit. Kalusugan bago kita.

 

Signatories:

DR. JAIME GALVEZ-TAN

Former Health Secretary, 1995

 

DR. CARMENCITA REODICA

Former Health Secretary, 1996-1998

 

DR. MANUEL DAYRIT

Former Health Secretary, 2001-2005

 

DR. PAULYN JEAN UBIAL

Former Health Secretary, 2016-2017

 

ATTY. ALEXANDER PADILLA

Former President and CEO, PhilHealth, 2013-2015

Former DOH Undersecretary, 2003-2010

 

PROF. AGNETTE PERALTA

Former Health Assistant Secretary, 2017

 

MS. FLORENCIA DOROTAN

Former Undersecretary, National Anti-Poverty Commission

 

DR. CARMELITA CANILA

Chair, Department of Health Policy and Administration,

College of Public Health, UP Manila

 

ImagineLaw

Philippine Medical Association

Philippine Pediatric Society ( PPS)

City Government of Baguio- Smoke Free Baguio

Philippine Society of Public Health Physicians

Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines, Inc.

ANG NARS Healthworkers Coalition (ANHC)

Philippine Association of Diabetes Educators

Cancer Warriors Foundation

Philippine Alliance of Patient Organizations, Inc.

Rainbow Camp Foundation Philippines Inc

Center for Policy Studies and Advocacy on Sustainable Development

Philippine Cancer Society

TRANSCENDING INSTITUTIONS AND COMMUNITIES INC

Tondo Medical Center

Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development

Child Rights Network

Mindanao Action Group for Children’s Rights and Protection

Diabetes Philippines, Inc.

Student Council Alliance of the Philippines

Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance

Alaga Health

HealthJustice Philippines

Nationwide Organization of Visually-Impaired Empowered Ladies

Rural Poor Institute for Land and Human Rights Services Inc.

LM Flores Management Consultancy Services

BOH-Bearer of Hope

CitizenWatch Philippines

Center for Youth Advocacy and Networking, Inc.

Palm Village Association

ICANSERVE Foundation

Health Care Without Harm SE Asia

Social Watch Philippines

Association of Philippine Medical Colleges – Student Network

Psoriasis Philippines

Makaagham, na kawangga para sa Kalinangan ng Buhay

SWP-ABI Health Cluster

WomanHealth Philippines

Adventist Medical Students Network – Philippines

Coalition for People’s Right to Health

Bataan General Hospital and Medical Center

Parents Against Vape

Women’s Action Network for Development (WAND)

Lingap Para sa Kalusugan ng Sambayanan, Inc. (LIKAS)