Controversy surrounding the nomination of the Philippines as President of the World Health Assembly

More than 50 public health and tobacco control organizations worldwide recently issued a call urgently to the World Health Organization (WHO), urging it to cancel the nomination of the Philippines as president of the 78World Health Assembly (WHA), scheduled for May 27 to June 1, 2025 in Geneva.

These organizations express concerns about the Philippine government's ties to the tobacco industry, including the acceptance of donations from Philip Morris International (PMI).[1].

Concerning links between the Philippine government and the tobacco industry

Concerns center on the close relationship between the Philippine government and Philip Morris International (PMI). In March 2025, government officials, including Health Secretary Teodoro Herbosa, attended an official ceremony at the Malacañang Presidential Palace to receive four mobile clinics donated by PMI and its local subsidiary PMFTC Inc. The units, valued at $572,141, were handed over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). They support relief efforts and, according to officials, would provide better access to basic health services and clean water for disadvantaged populations.

The event was widely shared on social media, including on the Instagram account of the First Lady of the Philippines, Liza Marcos, who praised the tobacco manufacturer's initiative.

This donation is not an isolated case. The Philippine government had already accepted a similar donation from PMI in 2024, prompting strong criticism from public health organizations, including in the Philippines. This repeat confirms a long-term strategy on the part of the industry to establish itself in the public institutional space.[2].

A clear violation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control

These actions constitute a direct violation of Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), ratified by the Philippines. This article requires State Parties to protect their public health policies from the commercial and other interests of the tobacco industry. Furthermore, Joint Memorandum 2010-01, issued by the Philippine Civil Service Commission and Department of Health, explicitly prohibits public officials from accepting donations or any support from the tobacco industry.

The signatories of the letter to the WHO believe that the Philippines' nomination would compromise the integrity of the WHA and send a contradictory signal to Member States committed to implementing independent public health policies. They reiterate the importance of preserving the independence and credibility of international health governance bodies. They call on the WHO to demonstrate consistency and strictly implement the principles of the FCTC, particularly with regard to preventing interference from the tobacco industry.

The appointment of a state with close ties to this industry to a symbolic position as important as the WHA presidency would set a dangerous precedent, likely to undermine the progress made in the global fight against tobacco.

PMI's Marketing Offensive in the Philippines: The IQOS Case

At the same time, PMI is actively promoting its tobacco products in the country, particularly IQOS, its heated tobacco device. On April 9, 2025, an exclusive event was held at Helm Restaurant in Manila, attended by renowned chef Josh Boutwood. Billed as a "culinary experience for the curious," the dinner aimed to position IQOS in a high-end, lifestyle universe, far from the image of a harmful product and associated with an art of living and culinary pleasure.

This type of marketing strategy has drawn strong criticism from health organizations, which denounce the trivialization or even the re-promotion of the consumption of heated tobacco products among the general public, particularly young adults, through cultural and gastronomic partnerships.

A worrying health situation in the Philippines

This tobacco industry interference in Philippine health policies is part of an already worrying health context in the Philippines. This is marked by a notable increase in tobacco and vaping product consumption among the population. The Department of Health (DOH) recently sounded the alarm: the prevalence of smoking among adults increased from 19.1% in 2021 to 24.4% in 2023. This rapid increase also affects younger people. According to the latest Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS), 14.1% of Filipino students aged 13 to 15 use e-cigarettes, and 12.5% consume traditional tobacco.[3].

This growth is largely explained by permissive regulations, influenced by industrial interests, which facilitate access to tobacco and nicotine products.

©Generation Without Tobacco

AE

[1] Press release, Health advocates worldwide demand cancellation of Philippines' World Health Assembly presidency nomination, SEATCA, published April 8, 2025, accessed April 11, 2025

[2] Tobacco-free generation, Philippines: Government accepts Philip Morris mobile clinic donation, published September 26, 2024, accessed April 11, 2024

[3] Tobacco-free generation, Philippines: alerts on the rise in tobacco and vaping consumption, published April 10, 2025, accessed April 11, 2025