RA 10643: Graphic Health Warnings Law

Section 16. Implementing Agencies. —

For purposes of the implementation of this Act, the following government agencies are given these mandates:

  1. The DOH shall issue the templates as required under Sections 6, 7 and 15.

  2. The BIR shall ensure that cigarette stamps are not affixed on noncompliant packages and shall certify under oath that the products withdrawn are compliant with this Act.

  3. The Inter-Agency Committee on Tobacco (IAC-T) created under Republic Act No. 9211 or the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003 shall monitor compliance with the law, and motu proprio or upon any sworn written complaint, institute the appropriate action for any violation of this Act as provided under Section 14 and this section.

  4. The DTI shall hear complaints filed by the IAC-T or any private citizen, corporation or organization, for any violation of this Act, and after notice and hearing, impose administrative fines of not more than Two million pesos (P2,000,000.00) for any violation of this Act, the proceeds of which will be used for health promotion campaigns on tobacco control of the DOH and the Department of Education (DepEd). The imposition of the administrative fines shall take into consideration the annual gross sales, capital investment and employee size of the manufacturers, importers and distributors, and in the case of retailers and sellers, their total assets.

  5. The DepEd shall use Graphic Health Warnings templates to educate children on the ill-effects of tobacco and shall ensure that these are included in relevant subjects under the K-12 curriculum.

Within six (6) months from the effectivity of this Act, the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) Committee led by the DOH and the DTI, and to be composed of the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Department of Finance (DOF), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), the DepEd, the National Tobacco Administration (NTA) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) shall draft and issue the IRR for its effective implementation, after public consultations with stakeholders such as NGOs, farmers, and industry representatives: Provided, That the non-issuance of the IRR shall not prevent the coming into force of this Act.