My Way + alcohol = rIP

The Philippines, I believe, is the only place where drinking alcohol and singing Frank Sinatra’s hit “My Way” is like a death wish that can send you on your way to the undertaker. While much of the blame has been tagged on to the song “My Way”, the fact of the matter is that most, if not all cases where someone was shot, stabbed or beaten to death singing “My Way” had to do with people binge drinking or literally drinking to death. If President Rodrigo Duterte needs statistics to back his request for Congress to pass a law banning the sale of alcoholic drinks, all he needs to do is get the Philippine National Police and the Philippines Statistics Authority to list down all the homicides that occurred under such circumstance! Don’t blame the song – blame the booze.

I fully support the President’s request to ban the sale of alcoholic drinks after midnight and not because I am a holier than thou cosmic killjoy. The fact of the matter is that many Filipinos don’t know how to drink, can’t handle their drink and kill themselves drinking ridiculously cheap booze. Among regular drinkers, I have observed that 2 to 3 guys can down 2 liters of “hard drinks” in an evening of binge drinking and they do this about 2 to 3 times a week. Just try to imagine the state of mind of such persons as they come into the work place the following day. What sort of productivity can we get out of people who are perpetually hungover! We recently talked about the President’s suggestion to Congress to ban the sale of alcohol after midnight on the program Agenda, and one of our guests Dr. Tony Leachon cited a UP study where they reportedly determined that most employees and workers spend 20% to 25% of their daily income buying cheap alcohol and I mean cheap. Just imagine what kind of actual “quality” goes into a liter of alcohol if it only costs P120 retail? What sort of “dekalidad” are we talking about? I’m not even talking about the legendary Gin-bulag or Ginebra but a more popular brand of brandy and rum. To make matters worse many “drinkers” can’t afford to drink relative to their income and family needs or budgets but if talk is cheap so is alcohol in the Philippines.

There is no question that alcoholic drinks such as brandy, rum and gin are simply too cheap and “affordable” and it is that very affordability that is the gateway for consumers to become alcoholics and eventual health concern or wards of the state. It is puzzling if not suspicious that members of Congress found it politically correct and popular to tax tobacco and electronic cigarettes to the max but conveniently forgot about alcohol products that has a larger market, create immediate problems in terms of health and peace and order concerns. For the longest time the BIR has been taxing alcohol based on volume or liter measurements but never on the amount of alcohol in every bottle. Various types of alcohol or spirits are priced competitively and the only advantage of one brand over the other is the amount of alcohol in the mix. While the richer class goes for the taste, the price conscious go for the “kick” that comes through alcohol percentage or content.

Now that President Duterte has pointed at “The elephant in the room”, it is now time for Secretary Sonny Dominguez to raise the bar in terms of taxes on cheap booze especially because these sin products are the leading manufacturers of patients for government hospitals after long-term use of cheap alcohol. During our discussion on AGENDA, Dr. Leachon shared how the medical profession has started to reconsider their “educational” approach of warning patients on the ill effects of sin products because in spite of all the teachings and warnings, there has been no observable reduction or improvement with the public and patients at large. On the other hand, Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya told us that the Executive Orders regulating smoking in public and increased sin taxes on cigarettes has gained traction and support especially at the local government level. As a whole both panelists agreed that “fines” and higher taxes is the way to go in order to reduce the ill effects of sin products.

Usec Malaya also mentioned that when President Duterte made the suggestion for Congress to pass a liquor ban after midnight, he was probably setting things up or creating an environment for the liquor ban to fall into place. Congressmen now have a perfect opportunity to pass such a law that many sectors of society will surely back because of the numerous benefits that would result from the ban. For starters, there will surely be a marked reduction in alcohol related deaths, accidents and injuries. Peace and order management would have a quiet window or several hours with no alcohol related troubles or incidents. Parents and spouses would surely rest easy knowing that the government has taken drastic action on binge drinking and chances are we will have fewer alcohol related deaths while singing “My Way”.

We now have a chance to eradicate the “Tunay Na Lalaki” attitude toward alcohol consumption and create a healthier environment for future generations. Right now, the data says that the Philippines is one of the top five countries with the highest growth potential for alcohol sales, 60% of Filipino youths have been or are engaged in binge drinking, and one of the top five direct causes of death in the country is alcohol related. Aside from the Cinderella rule, it’s also time for bars to have a licensed “bartender” with a very hefty bond who will regulate the sale to customers, throw out drunks and who will ask for identification to determine if minors are trying to buy booze or are being served booze. Remember the rule: Drink moderately, not desperately.

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