House passes measure taxing single-use plastic

MANILA, Philippines — The House ways and means committee has approved a bill seeking to tax single-use plastic bags.

During the deliberations yesterday, the panel chaired by Albay Rep. Joey Salceda voted to pass on first reading House Bill [HB] 178, which seeks to impose a P20 tax per kilogram of plastic bags.

The measure was authored by Reps. Horacio Suansing Jr. of Sultan Kudarat and Estrellita Suansing of Nueva Ecija.

The panel modified the amount of tax originally proposed in the bill, which was 10 per piece of plastic bag produced in factories or released from import warehouses.

“Aside from the short- and long-term consequences of plastics on the environment and on the health of humans and animals alike, the mass consumption of plastics in the Philippine further magnifies the flooding problem that Filipinos experience, especially during the typhoon season,” read the bill.

Salceda said the proposed measure, once enacted, could raise P4.8 billion in revenues for the government during the first year of implementation.

“This is just the first step. The next is a tax on primary plastic packaging, especially sachet that accounts for two-thirds of solid waste and garbage,” Salceda said.

He said the panel decided to defer the proposed tax on other plastic materials due to possible inflation on the prices of food and other basic commodities such as shampoo and toothpaste.

Salceda said the additional measure could be considered after three years once the poverty rate drops down to single digit.

The measure will now be referred to the plenary for second and third readings.  – With Rhodina Villanueva