Philip Morris leverages tech, innovation for smoke-free world

ABU DHABI - Philip Morris International (PMI) continues to leverage technology and innovation as it ramps up the shift of over a billion smokers worldwide to smoke-free products.

- By LAWRENCE AGCAOILI

Frederic de Wilde, president for South and Southeast Asia at PMI, told Filipino journalists on the sidelines of the Technovation: Smoke-Free summit held here that the Philippines is a fundamental country in tobacco harm regulation and a champion nation in pushing for smoke-free alternatives.

He said there are only several countries in the world that have e-cigarettes and heat-not-burn and nicotine pouches.

PMI has deployed several smoke-free products in the Philippines including IQOS devices and accessories, HEETS (consumable sticks for IQOS, Bonds and Blends) and oral nicotine product Zyn.

"And fundamentally, we need countries that have endorsed tobacco harm reduction, that have translated this concept. They've understood it, they've translated it in regulation. We need these countries to be examples for the others. For all these reasons, Philippines for us is a fundamental country," De Wilde added.

He pointed out that PMI usually uses the Philippines and Indonesia in his presentations to the PMI board.