The findings show that these brands are not only violating already weak Philippine vape regulation through the use of online marketing, but are thriving under the pro-tobacco industry Vape Law.

These are the key findings from the study, which reviewed posts found across some of the most popular social media platforms in the Philippines – Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube:

• Most social media posts of e-cigarette brands use marketing elements that appeal to children and young people (e.g., emoticons, cartoons, depictions of partying, influencer and celebrity endorsements).

• Over 50% of these posts are without health warnings, and those with warnings often only use text warnings instead of graphic images.

• One-third (34%) of these posts have no specified age restriction on e-cigarettes.

• The brands used engagement strategies such as user interaction, co-marketing, contests, giveaways, influencers, and monetary promotions such as discounts to promote e-cigarettes, as if they’re regular consumer products.

• The Vape Law, despite being pro-industry, does prohibit the use of flavor descriptors that “appeal particularly to minors.” But is this being followed? Absolutely not. The study showed high percentages of concept flavors (57%), fruit flavors (56%), and ‘sweets’ flavors (29%) being advertised.

Child rights advocates would like to remind our government authorities and legislators that this situation didn’t arise out of the blue.

The Vape Law transferred the authority to regulate vapes from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), which has limited capacity to assess the health risks of these products.

It also lowered the age restriction to e-cigarettes from 21 to 18 and allowed and legitimized online sales and advertising of these harmful products.

The law, according to tobacco industry propaganda, was supposed to help smokers switch to “safer alternatives.” But the reality appears to be a push to classify vapes as regular consumer products to avoid proper health assessments and maximize profit.

As a result, many school-aged children now in the Philippines have been introduced to nicotine addiction through vapes. Earlier this year, we recorded the first EVALI (E-cigarette or Vaping Product Use-Associated Lung Injury) death in the Philippines – a young person with no comorbidities who had been vaping daily for two years.

This new study just shows the urgent need to reinstate the child protection measures removed by the Vape Law:

• Bring back the regulatory authority from the DTI to the FDA.

• Raise the minimum age of e-cigarette (and traditional combustible cigarette) access from 18 to 21.

• Strictly implement the ban on the use of flavors.

• Ban the online marketing and advertising of e-cigarette products.

Vapes and e-cigarettes are NOT regular consumer products. They represent new forms of smoking designed to facilitate nicotine addiction, and our laws should treat these products as such.

The post Study show E-cigarette brands target children through online marketing appeared first on North Luzon Monitor.

It is a known strategy by tobacco companies to target young people as future smokers. They are also doing this with vapes now, through youth advertising, social media content, price discounts, and enticing product designs that resemble sleek gadgets.

Every day, a significant part of the youth population are smoking or vaping. Smokers who have died of smoking-related diseases, including lung cancer, heart disease, and various respiratory illnesses, have reported to have started when they were just teenagers or young adults.

Just recently, the Department of Health announced the first death related to vaping, that of a 22-year-old athlete who had no pre-existing illnesses or conditions but had been vaping daily in the last two years of his life.

The Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) conducted in 2019 revealed that 1 in every 7 Filipino students aged 13 to 15 years is already using e-cigarettes. They also reported how easy it is to access tobacco products in the Philippines.

Many smokers begin their habit during adolescence or young adulthood. Studies have shown that if individuals do not take up addictive habits by the time the decision-making part of their brains have matured, they almost certainly will never start.

This shows that it is extremely important to have early intervention to prevent tobacco and vape use and parents will play a pivotal role in steering their children away from tobacco use.

Parental influence remains powerful. Begin conversations about smoking and vaping early, even when your kids are just in kindergarten. Keep these discussions open and ongoing as children grow older. Talk about the pressure your kids are experiencing in their environment and equip them with the information and strategies to refuse habit-forming products like cigarettes and vapes.

If you yourself smoke or vape, quitting is the best way to set a positive example. At the very least, avoid smoking around your children. Enforce a no-smoking policy at home and in the car. Ensure that places your child frequents are no-smoking zones. If your child has started smoking or vaping, approach the issue with understanding and offer support to help them quit.

But the issue should not stop at home. There should also be public education campaigns to help teens understand how tobacco companies exploit them. These campaigns are more effective when integrated in school-based and family-based programs.

There should also be accessible and affordable smoking cessation programs that can support young smokers in quitting and encourage healthier behaviors among parents and caregivers.

At the local government level, cities like Baguio in the Philippines have implemented stringent anti-smoking policies, setting an example for effective tobacco control for other cities and municipalities.

Baguio’s smoke-free ordinance, which includes restrictions on vaping products, demonstrates the potential for local action to protect public health.

At the national level, sadly, commercial interests are sometimes prioritized over public health. The country faces a rising use of vapes among youth, and this is worsened by deceitful marketing and insufficient regulation.

But the government’s response?

The passage of Republic Act 11900 or the controversial Vape Law, which lowered the age of access to vapes from 21 to 18, lifted the ban on flavors, and transferred regulatory power from the Department of Health to the Department of Trade and Industry, which essentially eases restrictions and treats vapes as regular consumer products.

The price to pay? A possible health crisis for a nation already grappling with a youth vaping epidemic.

So what can we do?

We can demand policy change. We can bring back the health and child protection safeguards removed by the Vape Law, including return of the regulation of vapes to the Department of Health.

We can raise the price of tobacco products, including vapes, so teenagers won’t be able to afford them.

There should be regulatory initiatives that ban youth-focused marketing efforts and make sure that the packaging of smoking products do not appeal to children and young people. There should be a strict implementation of restrictions in advertising and promotion near schools and parks.

It is also crucial for our government to prioritize public health over commercial interests to ensure a healthier future for our youth.

As seen in the Philippines, tobacco-free policies, enforcement, and education are essential in fighting the vaping epidemic and safeguarding the well-being of children and young people. Preventing the youth from starting to smoke or vape requires a multifaceted approach involving parents, educators, policymakers, and public health officials.

By advocating for stronger and more innovative policies, we can make significant progress in preventing a generation from falling into the trap of nicotine addiction and use of emerging nicotine products.  Jia Sentorias, Philippine Smoke-Free Movement (PSFM) Youth & Young Leaders Program for Tobacco Control

About the Author

Jia Sentorias is a 3rd year college student from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. She is an active member of the Philippine Smoke-Free Movement-Youth and the Young Leaders Program for Tobacco Control of the Child Rights Network.

The post Reducing vaping and youth nicotine addiction appeared first on North Luzon Monitor.

Across Metro Manila and the remote corners of our country, a silent crisis unfolds—a crisis of identity, denied rights, and uncertain futures. In the Philippines, approximately 3.7 million people live without a birth certificate that proves their existence.

Imagine a child who doesn’t have a birth certificate, who has no way to prove their identity or their place in society. Birth certificates are more than just documents; they’re a source of essential services, a protection from discrimination, and a gateway to dignity. Yet, this basic right remains out of reach for millions of Filipinos.

Why? Born in isolated areas or urban slums, these individuals face insurmountable obstacles. Lack of awareness and education, financial costs, and inaccessible registration centers trap them in a cycle of invisibility.

Civil registration is not just paperwork; it’s a matter of life and death. Those without birth certificates are not just invisible; they are vulnerable. They are prone to exploitation, abuse, and denied access to basic services such as health care, education, and employment. Their existence is questioned, their rights are dismissed, and their future is uncertain.

The ones who suffer the most are our children, the future of our country. According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, 43% of unregistered Filipinos are children and adolescents under 19 years old. They are denied not just their rights but their childhood, their innocence tainted by a system that fails to acknowledge their existence.

Our nation’s development is stifled by the lack of registration. Developing policies and allocating resources are severely hindered by inaccurate population data. Without knowing the identities and locations of our citizens, how can we address their educational and health needs?

However, this need not be the case. As a nation, as a community, and as individuals, we are capable of change. It is our duty to ensure that every Filipino is recognized, counted, and valued.

The recent approval of the Civil Registration Bill by the House Committee on Population and Family Relations, chaired by Isabela Rep. Ian Paul Dy, is a step in the right direction. The bill consolidates efforts from multiple House Bills to establish a comprehensive and responsive civil registration and vital statistics (CRVS) system. We now keenly await the Senate to sponsor a counterpart bill at the Committee on Health and Demography, chaired by Sen. Bong Go.

Let’s strive for a comprehensive, inclusive, and responsive CRVS system. Let us remove all physical, bureaucratic, and social barriers preventing our fellow Filipinos from registering. We must implement outreach programs to educate parents about the importance of birth registration and simplify the process so that it can be accessed by all parents. Mobile registration units can reach remote areas, ensuring that no child goes unregistered.

This change can be made if we all come together. The Civil Registration Bill must be passed to ensure that every Filipino is counted and given the opportunity to lead a dignified life. The Senate’s prompt action in sponsoring a counterpart bill is crucial. Let us unite to support the passage of this vital legislation.  By Andrei Villamor

About the author:

Andrei Villamor is an advocate for Universal Birth Registration. He is an Advocacy and Partnerships Officer of the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development, the organization that convenes the Child Rights Network.

The post Breaking the cycle of invisibility appeared first on North Luzon Monitor.

We are left wondering, why the delay?

Addressing adolescent pregnancy has been declared a “national priority” by the national government since 2021. Official government data showed that in 2022, there was a significant increase (35%) in live births among adolescent mothers aged 14 and below.

This is equivalent to having more than 3,000 girls giving birth to their own children in just one year.

The costs of early pregnancy are no laughing matter.

The Philippines is losing P33 billion of potential income yearly due to early pregnancies, according to the estimate of the UNFPA.

Aside from this, adolescent pregnancy poses significant health, social, and developmental risks to the girl child and her baby, including maternal and infant deaths, complications during delivery, and a higher likelihood of victimhood to domestic violence and abuse.

It also forces many girls to discontinue their studies, severely diminishing their future earning capacity.

The Philippine Legislature has a stellar record in enacting pro-women and pro-children legislation over the years. To name a few: the Magna Carta of Women in 2009, the Reproductive Health Law in 2012, and the recent enactment of landmark laws Prohibiting Child Marriage and Raising the Age of Sexual Consent.

It would be a disservice to break this winning streak for women’s and children’s rights in legislation if we do not give the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Bill a chance.

Adolescent pregnancy has consistently been a top concern for the younger generation, based on the consultations held by members of the Child Rights Network. This is clearly an issue that the Filipino youth cares about and wants the government to prioritize.

The current session of the 19th Congress is set to adjourn by March 22, a few days from now. Sessions will resume by April 29, but any seasoned political observer will note that the flurry of the midterm elections will slow down the legislative process and the chances of having anything notable accomplished by that time would be slim.

Now is the time to call on the Senate to pass the Adolescent Pregnancy Bill and help create a future for Filipinos where there are no more children having children.

The post No more children having children appeared first on North Luzon Monitor.

Jemboy’s life abruptly ended when Navotas City police fired at him while boarding a boat, mistakenly identifying him as a suspect. The six officers involved have been relieved from duty and are now facing charges of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide, an offense punishable by imprisonment of up to 4 years and 2 months.

While the swift detainment of the officers involved is a commendable step, we urge authorities to ensure that proper charges have been made. It is a clear breach of the police institution’s own operations manual to fire warning shots and not provide any verbal warning to an alleged offender, much less a helpless child.

Jemboy is sadly not the only child victim of arbitrary killings in the past year. Killings have continued to this day, even under the present administration, following the same familiar narrative.

Gunmen, usually unidentified assailants, enter poor neighborhoods and households, indiscriminately firing at suspects, and ‘collateral damage’ like children are sadly merely perceived as mistakes.

But these children, whose lives were unnecessarily taken, are not mere numbers and casualties. For their families and loved ones, they are sons, daughters, siblings, and friends, each with their own name, dreams, and potential.

AC, a 15-year-old male, dreamed of becoming a seafarer someday. On May 29, 2023, he was relentlessly shot by unidentified gunmen in Navotas, in the house of their landlord, who is suspected of a drug violation. Neighbors reported AC’s desperate plea: ‘Huwag po, maawa po kayo sa akin, ano po ang kasalanan ko?’ Despite his plea, he was shot dead. Later, the police claimed they had recovered cartridge cases, shabu, and other drug paraphernalia from the crime scene.

Marian, 15, wanted to be a social worker. On June 13, 2023, she heard noises inside her house where multiple families lived. She opened the door and upon doing so, was shot twice by unidentified gunmen. ‘Pare, babae pala ‘yung nabaril natin!’ The gunmen quickly left the place. Marian ran to her mother, a barangay tanod, across the street, ‘Ma, may tama yata ako.’ She was rushed to the nearest hospital, but they could no longer save her life. The police said that the suspect in the house was involved in drugs. Marian was the type of person who was saving her money from her school allowance to feed poor children in their hometown in Masbate.

Samuel, 17, was found dead and handcuffed with a nylon cord wrapped around his neck on May 26, 2023, in San Ildefonso, Bulacan. According to the barangay officials, Samuel had been a child in conflict with the law and was placed in Bahay Pag-asa in Malolos several times due to his involvement in drugs. He wanted to change but is no longer given the chance to prove himself.

These are just some of the documented cases that are not receiving the same level of attention and public indignation as others. Yet, these cases are just as real, and the grief felt by the loved ones left behind is just as profound and painful.

We join various sectors in demanding reflection and change within our law enforcement, from the highest levels of policy-making down to the practices carried out by officers on the ground.

Children will only be safe and protected in this country if we start nurturing a culture that upholds due process, restorative justice, and respect for basic human rights and dignity.

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(The cases in this statement are documented by the Children’s Legal Rights and Development Center, a member of the Child Rights Network.)

About Child Rights Network (CRN)

Child Rights Network is the largest alliance of organizations and agencies pushing for children’s rights legislation in the Philippines. CRN has a membership of over 60 national, international, and local organizations across the country, including two government agencies. Its current convenor is the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD). www.childrightsnetwork.ph

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