THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has exempted certain medicines for cancer, diabetes, hypertension, and other diseases from the value added tax (VAT).
Based on Revenue Memorandum Circular 72-2023, 59 medicines for cancer, hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, mental illness, tuberculosis, and kidney disease have been added to the list of VAT-exempt products under the TRAIN Law and CREATE Act.
This is a welcoming development for those who are taking the medicines for their maintenance.
“Maganda para medyo nakakaluwag-luwag, saka syempre nabawasan na ‘yung presyo. Pandagdag din sa pamasahe araw-araw,” said Rolando Alonzo, a utility worker who uses maintenance medicines, in a report on Balitanghali yesterday.
(It gives us a bit of a relief because the price of the medicines has been reduced. This gives us an additional budget for our daily fare.)
Fake celeb endorsement of medicines
Meanwhile, Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada has sought a Senate inquiry into the “alarming” proliferation of fake celebrity endorsements of various unregistered food and drug products on social media.
In filing Senate Resolution No. 666, Estrada said there is a spread of online marketing materials and impostor pages or accounts promoting unregistered products that promise treatment for certain ailments or wellness benefits which use the names and photos of local personalities and celebrities.
“These advertisements mislead consumers into believing that these celebrities are using and endorsing food and medicinal products that are actually unregistered before the proper health authorities and not yet approved for mass distribution and public consumption,” he said.
According to Estrada, the online scam is a “clear and blatant” violation of the Consumer Act as the bogus medicinal remedies are being seen and shared by many people, providing them with inaccurate information about the efficacy, quality, and safety of food, drugs, and health products.
“There is an urgent need to protect consumers against the consumption of unregistered and potentially harmful food and health products through the strict enforcement of the provisions of the Consumer Act and regulation of fraudulent advertisements on social media platforms,” he said.
He also said there is a need to update the country’s existing laws and regulations, considering the alarming use of maliciously manipulated images, spliced videos, and fabricated statements in the promotion of food and health products. (GMA Integrated News)
