The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has released a list of 2,263 medicines which will no longer be subjected to the value added tax (VAT).
This implies a reduction in the retail prices of these specified drugs.
BIR issued Revenue Memorandum Circular (RMC) No. 27-2026 on April 8, 2026, publicizing the medicines endorsed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be VAT-exempt under Republic Act No. 10963, or the TRAIN Law, and Republic Act No. 11534, or the CREATE Act.
Included in the VAT-exempt list are 702 cancer medications, 535 hypertension drugs, 327 diabetes treatments, 300 mental illness medications, 171 cholesterol-lowering drugs, 152 kidney disease treatments, and 76 tuberculosis drugs.
The BIR stated on their social media page, "In line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s directive to make healthcare more accessible and affordable for Filipinos, the Department of Finance, under Finance Secretary Frederick D. Go, supports the timely implementation of measures that help reduce the cost of essential medicines."
BIR Commissioner Charlito Martin R. Mendoza also noted, "this issuance forms part of the government's continuing efforts to help ease the cost of essential medicines, especially for Filipinos managing chronic and critical illnesses."
Here is the entirety of RMC No. 27-2026:
https://bir-cdn.bir.gov.ph/BIR/pdf/RMC%20No.%2027-2026.pdf
Meanwhile, the complete list of VAT-exempt medicines can be found in Annex A of the circular:
https://bir-cdn.bir.gov.ph/BIR/pdf/Annex%20A%20of%20RMC%20No.%2027-2206%20(1).pdf
