Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
EXPLANATORY NOTE 
The Constitution, Article 11, Section 16, provides: 
The State shall protect and advance the right of the people to a 
balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony of 
nature. 
Health warning labels on cigarette packaging promote health awareness to 
smokers. It is the objective of the bill to take these warnings further by also instilling to 
the user environmental awareness by adding another label in cigarette packages 
informing the consumer to dispose the cigarette litter properly, like any other consumer 
product packaging like soda cans and plastic wrappers. 


Introduced by Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago 
- 
AN ACT 
AMENDING REPUBLIC ACT NO. 921 1, OR THE TOBACCO REGULATION ACT 
OF 2003, SECTION 13, ON WARNINGS ON CIGARETTE PACKAGES 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of tlae Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1, Section 13 of the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003 is hereby further 
amended to read as follows: 
SECTION 13. Warnings on Cigarette Packages. - 
Under this Act: 
a. All packages in which tobacco products are provided to 
consumers withdrawn from the manufacturing facility of all 
manufacturers or imported into the Philippines intended for 
sale to the market, starting 1 January 2004, shall be printed, 
in either English or Filipino, on a rotating basis or 
separately and simultaneously, the following health 
warnings: 
"GOVERNMENT WARNING: Cigarette Smoking is 
Dangerous to Your Health;" 
"GOVERNMENT WARNING: Cigarettes are Addictive;" 
"GOVERNMENT WARNING: Tobacco Smoke Can Harm 
Your Children;" or 
"GOVERNMENT WARNING: Smoking Kills." 
b. Upon effectivity of this Act until 30 June 2006, the health 
warning shall be located on one side panel of every tobacco 


product package and occupy not less than fifty percent 
(50%) of such side panel including any border or frame. 
c. Beginning 1 July 2006, the health warning shall be located 
on the bottom portion of one (1) front panel of every 
tobacco product package and occupy not less than thirty 
percent (30%) of such front panel including any border or 
frame. The text of the warning shall appear in clearly 
legible type in black text on a white background with a 
black border and in contrast by typography, layout or color 
to the other printed matters on the package. The health 
warning shall occupy a total area of not less than fifty 
percent (50%) o f  the total warning frame. 
d. The warnings shall be rotated periodically, or separately 
and simultaneously printed, so that within any twenty-four 
(24) month period, the four (4) variations of the warnings 
shall appear with proportionate frequency. 
e. The warning shall not be hidden or obscured by other 
printed information or images, or printed in a location 
where tax or fiscal stamps are likely to be applied to the 
package or placed in a location where it will be damaged 
when the package is opened. If the warning to be printed on 
the package is likely to be obscured or obliterated by a 
wrapper on the package, the warning must be printed on 
both the wrapper and the package. 
In addition to the health warning, all packages of tobacco 
products that are provided to consumers shall contain, on 
one side panel, the following statement in a clear, legible 
and conspicuous manner: "NO SALE TO MINORS" or 
"NOT FOR SALE TO MINORS." The statement shall 
f. 


occupy an area of not less than ten percent (10%) of such 
side panel and shall appear in contrast by color, typography 
or layout with all the other printed material on the side 
panel. 
g. IN ADDITION TO THE HEALTH WARNING AND THE 
MESSAGE REQUIRED IN PRECEDING PARAGRAPH, 
ALL PACKAGES OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS THAT 
ARE PROVIDED TO CONSUMERS SHALL CONTAIN, 
ON THE SIDE PANEL OPPOSITE OF WHICH THAT 
CONTAINS THE MESSAGE REQUnZED PRECEDING 
PARAGRAPH, THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT IN A 
CLEAR, LEGIBLE AND CONSPICUOUS MANNER: 
“PLEASE DISPOSE OF ALL CIGARETTE WASTE 
PROPERLY. DO NOT LITTER.” THE STATEMENT 
SHALL OCCUPY AN AREA AND APPEAR AS THE 
MESSAGE IN THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPH. 
h. No other printed warnings, except the health warning and 
the MESSAGES required in this Section, PARAGRAPHS 
F. AND G. shall be placed on cigarette packages. 
SECTION2. Separability Clause. - If any portion of this Act is declared 
unconstitutional, the same shall not affect the validity and effectivity of the other 
provisions not affected thereby. 
SECTION 3. Repealing Clause. - All laws, acts, decrees, executive orders, rules 
and regulations or other issuances or parts thereof, which are inconsistent with this Act, 
are hereby modified and repealed. 


SECTION 4. Effectivity Clause. - This Act shall take effect after fifteen (1 5) days 
following its publication in two (2) national newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved, 
ptint 28May07