Manila, June 11 -- The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has endorsed 10 additional drug products to be included in the list of medicines that are exempt from value-added tax (VAT).

In a public advisory on Wednesday, the FDA said the newly endorsed drugs address conditions representing significant public health concerns that require long-term and costly treatment.

FDA Advisory No. 2025-0510 noted that these include a drug for high cholesterol, two for cancer, two for diabetes, two for hypertension, and three for mental health disorders.

Removal of the 12 percent VAT on these medicines reduces healthcare costs and improves access to quality medication for Filipinos dealing with chronic and critical illnesses, the FDA said.

The additio...