JUMEIRAH, Abu Dhabi—There is “no doubt” that the Philippines will not only embrace smoke-free technology as an alternative to cigarette-smoking because of Filipinos’ close-knit family culture, structure, and dynamics, PMI President for Smoke-Free Inhalable Products Category and Chief Consumer Officer Stefano Volpetti said.
 

PMI President for Smoke-Free Inhalable Products Category and Chief Consumer Officer Stefano Volpetti (Raymund Antonio/MANILA BULLETIN)
 

In an interview with Philippine media after the “Technovation: Smoke-free by PMI Abu Dhabi Edition” event held on Wednesday, Dec. 11, the official expressed confidence that the Philippines will achieve progress toward a smoke-free future.
 

“There is no doubt that we will achieve that in the Philippines. We started in the capital. We started with both either tobacco and oral nicotine,” he said.
 

“And we will make our way through. Now, the more society, stakeholders, regulators support the effort, the faster the progress is going to be,” the official added, stressing that “There is no reason in the Philippines why progress will not happen.”
 

Volpetti cited, in particular, three reasons—the United States’ “big image” in the Philippines, the woman being the household’s budget manager, and the Filipinos close-knit family ties—why he believes Filipino consumers are open to the idea of using heated tobacco products instead of the traditional cigarettes.
 

“The fact that the US has a big image in your country is an important plus,” he said, adding that PMI’s oral nicotine Zyn is now the number one product in the US.
 

“This is important for the Filipino consumers. Because there is a notion that there is something important happening in the US. And I would like to see it here as well. So this is a plus,” he stated.
 

But also another reason he’s confident Filipinos will embrace smoke-free technology is the fact that PMI will deliver the “best technology” to Filipino consumers, who would have to be answerable to the “chief financial officer of the family,” who happens to be the woman in the household.
 

“What does it mean if you are trying a new product? First we need to make sure that that product will really work. So we need to give to the Filipino consumer the best technology. Because if that product doesn't work, they will not be forgiven,” Volpetti explained.

 IQOS store in Dubai (Raymund Antonio/MANILA BULLETIN)

“Because when they go home, they need to report that they've spent money on something that didn't work. That is not an option. So then this aspect of value is related to quality of the technology.”
 

The Filipinos’ love for spending time with family is also another “important aspect” because smokers are “really not welcome” in the family.
 

However, the official said that “if you use a smoke-free alternative, this is much more discreet” and those using oral nicotine, or heated tobacco, or a vape would then not disturb the family.
 

“So this notion of spending time together, being part of the family, also plays an important role,” Volpetti added.
 

In the Philippines, PMI is ready to deploy three smoke-free tobacco products and two oral nicotine products.
 

Today, PMI’s HEETS (consumable sticks for IQOS), IQOS devices, and device accessories are available in select stores and online, while its Bonds and Blends can also be found in small retail stores in the National Capital Region since 2022.
 

The IQOS Iluma and TEREA were also launched in October 2023, while PMI’s oral nicotine product Zyn was launched in November 2023 and is locally available online and in IQOS stores, vape stores, some select 7-11 outlets, and tobacconists.
 

“We need to make sure we create awareness of the category. And that's what we are doing. We make sure that we pace ourselves when it comes to which channels we are available,” Volpetti said.