The administration of President Rodrigo Duterte started 2018 by implementing TRAIN, which reduced personal income taxes but increased those on cars, tobacco, sugar-sweetened beverages, and fuel.

So much so that a 12 ounce bottle of soda increased by 25%.

A pack of Marlboro cigarettes is more expensive at P87.50, from last year's P68 a 29% increase.

Electricity charges are expected to rise in February due to the increase of the coal tax and the excise tax on it plus the re-imposition of the VAT on petroleum products will cause an increase of 8 centavos per kilowatt-hour . This means that a typical household that uses 200 kWh a month will pay P16 more for electricity services.

Alcohol is strangely missing from this round robin excise tax increase.

The Train Law is supposed to raise the necessary revenues for a much-needed Build Build Build program the government’s huge infrastructure program. An infrastructure that has been neglected for many years and is in a state of great disrepair.
This is only first year of increases in the excise taxes they are set ti rise again in 2019 and 2020. It remains to be seen what beneficial results it may produce.