Baguio: Medical experts are supporting a proposal to raise Baguio City's minimum legal drinking age from 18 to between 23 and 25. The proposed increase, seen to help reduce alcohol-related harm among young people, is among the key provisions of the 2026 Revised Liquor Code, which is under deliberation by the Baguio City Council.
According to Philippines News Agency, during a council session on Tuesday, Dr. Rafael Legaspi of the Philippine General Hospital explained that the brain's prefrontal cortex, responsible for decision-making, impulse control, and judgment, does not fully mature until about age 25. He argued that the legal voting age of 18 should not automatically be equated with the ability to drink responsibly. "Voting is a sober and deliberate act," he noted, emphasizing that alcohol affects the brain's reward system and can increase impulsive behavior, particularly among younger people whose brains are still developing.
Vincent Carlo Tabirara of the ANAYA Drug Rehabilitation and Alcohol Treatment Center added that early exposure to alcohol increases the risk of developing alcohol-related problems later in life. "When children and teenagers grow up in environments where alcohol is seen as normal, they become more likely to experiment with drinking," he remarked.
Dr. Donnabel Tubera-Panes of the City Health Services Office provided data from the Baguio City Police and the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center from 2024 to 2026, showing that 95.86 percent of alcohol-related deaths involved men. She highlighted that alcohol-related incidents were most common among people aged 30 to 35, while deaths peaked among those aged 65 to 66, indicating that the long-term effects of excessive drinking often emerge decades after alcohol use begins.
Tubera-Panes also mentioned that some individuals are exposed to alcohol as early as age 15, warning that alcohol-related deaths could quadruple within five years if current trends continue. She cited more than 3,100 alcohol-related hospital cases recorded from 2024 to 2026, stressing that existing laws setting the legal drinking age at 18 have not been sufficient to prevent underage access to alcohol, underscoring the need for stronger preventive measures.
Aside from raising the minimum drinking age, the proposed 2026 Revised Liquor Code aims to strengthen regulations on alcohol-serving establishments, licensing, responsible alcohol service, delivery, advertising, pricing, health and sanitation standards, enforcement, and penalties.
