Health Secretary Francisco Duque appealed to the legislators to hasten the passage of House Bill No. 3364, or the Graphic Health Warning Bill.

The next step to passing the law is now stalled in the Lower House of Congress due to strong opposition by a number of lawmakers who fear that the six million tobacco growers and their families in the Ilocos region would go hungry if the graphic health warning law goes through. The government was unable to meet the 4 September deadline for implementing the health warning standards set by the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).
Now, more local government units and civil society groups have appealed to the legislators to hasten the passage of the bill. Duque said the rising number of smokers in the country shows that the provisions on packaging and labelling under the Republic Act 9211 are not effective. (pi)