“Bawat piso na natitipid sa gamot ay malaking ginhawa para sa mamamayan,” said Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, praising the inclusion of 17 new medicines in the VAT-exempt list.
Pimentel emphasized that this initiative helps ease the financial burden on Filipinos needing medical treatment.
“Every peso saved on medicine means more food on the table, more money for education, and a better quality of life for our citizens,” he added, urging the government to expand VAT exemptions to cover more essential medicines.
The newly VAT-exempt drugs include treatments for high cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension, and mental health conditions. These additions, such as rosuvastatin for cholesterol, sitagliptin + metformin for diabetes, and sertraline and quetiapine for mental health, join existing exemptions for cancer, tuberculosis, and kidney disease medications.
Pimentel, who voted for the bill’s approval in September 2024, welcomed the signing of the CREATE MORE Law in November, which strengthened tax incentives and lowered medicine prices.
“Yung VAT exemption ng mga psychiatric meds–maraming hindi nakakaalam. Ako po ang nag-push niyan noong BICAM kaya na-exempt ‘yan. Kaya we are in full support sa pag-focus natin sa how to alleviate the burden for families with children or relatives with mental health problems or conditions,” the senator said during the Marikina Candidate Forum on February 9, 2025.
As a strong advocate for affordable healthcare, Pimentel stressed the importance of properly implementing the VAT exemption to directly benefit consumers. “Having a law is not enough–we must guarantee that its impact is felt by the people. Medicine should be accessible and affordable for all,” he said.IMT
