'Sin taxes' — a tool to help the poor in the Philippines

Alejandro Herrin on using 'sin taxes' to fund health programs

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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