Some good news for Filipinos struggling with buy medicine for their respective health-related needs. The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) officially announced that ten more medicines are exempted from the value-added tax (VAT), according to a news article by the Philippine News Agency (PNA).
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…
The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) said 10 more medicines for cancer, high cholesterol, hypertension, and mental illness are now exempted from value-added tax (VAT).
In a statement on Monday, the BIR said Commissioner Romeo Lumagui Jr. issued Revenue Memorandum Circular No. 62-2025 on June 20 further expanding the list of VAT-exempt medicines.
The BIR said these changes aim to enhance access to critical medications by reducing treatment costs for patients and their families.
Some medicines on the list are Tegafur + Gimeracil + Oteracil Potassium for cancer, Metformin Hydrochloride + Teneligliptin for diabetes, Atorvastatin (as calcium) + Fenobribrate for high cholesterol, Metoprolol tartrate + Ivabradine (as hydrochloride) for hypertension, and Lamotrigine for mental illness.
The VAT exemption, pursuant to Republic Act No. 10963, or the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law, and Republic Act No. 11534, or the Corporate Recovery and Tax Incentives for Enterprises (CREATE) Act, is intended to be responsive and adaptive to current public health needs, guided by the latest evaluations from the Food and Drug Administration.
“The BIR has issued an additional VAT-exemption of 10 medicines for cancer, diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension, and mental illness,” Lumagui said.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you are on medication, does this new development from the BIR look helpful to you?
You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.
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