The Philippines passed in 2012 a groundbreaking law to raise taxes on “sin” products like alcohol and tobacco and use those revenues to fund public health programs — so how has the scheme worked out so far?
In this video interview on the sidelines of Devex’s first Partnerships and Career Forum, Devex Editor Rolf Rosenkranz asked Dr. Alejandro Herrin, country director for RTI International, one of several international organizations carrying out public health projects in close coordination with the Philippine Department of Health.
Click on the above clip to learn more insights from Herrin on challenges like how to identify the beneficiaries of public health programs, and how the additional funds from the “sin taxes” are helping to scale up public health initiatives in the Philippines.
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About the author
Carlos Santamaria
Carlos is a former associate editor for breaking news in Devex's Manila-based news team. He joined Devex after a decade working for international wire services Reuters, AP, Xinhua, EFE ,and Philippine social news network Rappler in Madrid, Beijing, Manila, New York, and Bangkok. During that time, he also covered natural disasters on the ground in Myanmar and Japan.
