Taxing everything, even the lowly ‘daing’

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) is considering to impose taxes on salted food products.

“Ito ‘yung iniisip natin na pag-aralan na pagtataasan natin ang buwis sa salted food, maaaring magkaroon ito ng positive na outcome sa ating mga kalusugan,” Health spokesperson and Undersecretary Eric Domingo said in a press briefing in Malacañang on Wednesday.

(We’re studying increasing taxes on salted food. This move may have a positive outcome.)

“There’s nothing concrete right now but it’s something the Department of Health is studying,” Domingo added.

The health official said tax may be levied on salted products like “daing” or sun-dried fish.

“Basically, yes. Oo, it should be included—it will include all foods,” he said.

“That is a possibility but I’m not saying right now that that is where we are going,” he also said, adding that “we don’t have any guidelines on that yet.”

Domingo cited that excessive salt in one’s diet “is directly correlated to hypertension, heart disease and kidney diseases.”

During the 17th Congress, former Masbate Rep. Scott Davis Lanete filed House Bill 3719 that seeks to impose a P1 tax per milligram of salt – in junk food, canned goods and processed food – in excess of one-third of the allowable daily intake as prescribed by the health department.