MANILA, July 4 -- Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Friday called on the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to further expand the list of value added tax (VAT)-exempt medicines, saying this would ease the financial burden on patients.

"Walang Pilipino ang dapat mapagkaitan ng pagkakataong mapangalagaan ang kanilang kalusugan at makabili ng murang gamot (No Filipino should be denied the opportunity to safeguard their health and access affordable medicine)," Gatchalian said in a statement.

He made the appeal following the inclusion of 19 more medicines under the VAT exemption list, which he welcomed as a major step forward in making essential treatments more affordable.

"This move is a clear win for o...