The request was contained in a letter sent to the Philippine Department of Finance saying the tax on cigarette is still low and is not helping to deter the purchase of cigarettes.
Finance undersecretary Gil Beltran said, "They [WHO] asked us if we could raise the tax some more because it is true that the tax here is low compared with what is imposed in neighboring countries."
According to the world health body, the Philippine has the lowest excise tax on cigarettes among Southeast Asian countries.
