UPSE faculty Cielo Magno’s views on the proposed tax on sugary drinks were extensively covered in an ABS-CBN News Online article:
Taxing sugar-sweetened beverages will help reduce consumption, boosting the fight against obesity that is costly and hurts productivity, an economist said Tuesday.
President Rodrigo Duterte is seeking a P10 per liter excise tax under a system-wide overhaul that he hopes to pass this year to help fund his P8-trillion infrastructure program.
Citing both local and US studies, University of the Philippines economics professor Cielo Magno said a 10-percent increase in prices could cut sales by 10 percent.”We should also be concerned with the financial costs that lifestyle diseases will have on the public health care system particularly if we are moving towards universal health care coverage,” Magno said.
“The burden of these lifestyle diseases can be avoided with proper diet and nutrition. It becomes imperative that we push society towards a healthier diet,” she said.
Read the full text of the news article here:
The complete policy brief setting forth Magno’s views can be found here.
