Philippines DTI Applies For P160 Million Budget To Study E-cigarette Testing Facilities

Philippines DTI applies for P160 million budget to study e-cigarette testing facilities

The Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is studying the ban on disposable e-cigarettes issued by the Department of Health (DOH). The department proposes to apply for a fiscal budget of approximately 160 million pesos ($2.88 million) to prepare e-cigarette testing facilities to ensure Device security.
According to a report by Malaya on March 15, the Philippine Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is studying the Department of Health's (DOH) proposal to ban disposable e-cigarette products. Amanda Nograles, assistant secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry, stressed the importance of testing vaping devices.

"We at the Department of Trade and Industry are looking at this proposal. Our concern is consumer protection. The problem with disposable e-cigarettes is that the device itself contains the actual product (e-liquid), as well as the actual device and consumable items. How do you test the effectiveness of a pod? How do you tell if a device is safe? Because vaping devices, vaping consumables, and actual vaping systems are handled differently, further research is needed."

According to the "E-Cigarette Law" that will take effect in December 2023, starting from June this year, all e-cigarette products must undergo compulsory certification. By January next year, all e-cigarettes on the market that have not been certified by the Philippine Product Standards Bureau or do not have customs clearance marks for imported goods will be confiscated.

Nograles said the Department of Trade and Industry is preparing e-cigarette testing facilities and has requested a budget of about 160 million pesos ($2.88 million) for this purpose.