Legazpi’s SmokeFree Campaign is nominated for the 1st Red Orchid Awards of the World Health Organization and Department of Health. DOH Regional Director Nestor Santiago informed Mayor Noel Rosal that “considering the success that Local Government Unit has achieved towards a Smoke-Free Legazpi City” the DOH –Bicol conducted a team visit to orient the Smoke-Free Committee on the criteria and requirement of the said Awards. A site visit of the validating team from Manila is scheduled for February or March 2009.

The criteria for the awards  include the following:

Monitoring of tobacco use and prevention policies
Protection of the people from the effects of smoking
Offer to help quit tobacco use
Warning about the dangers of tobacco
Enforcement/bans on tobacco advertising promo and sponsorship
Raise taxes on tobacco.

The City Government is strictly implementing the smoke-free laws particularly its current ordinance number 0007-2009 authored by Councilor Raul Rosal. The new smokefree version mobilizes a Smoke-Free Unit for the Smoke-Free Committee and the City Health Office as lead agency in the implementation of the said Ordinance.

Police Chief Col. Edgardo Ardales, head of Team Enforcement reported that last year 2009, about 350 violators of smokefree ordinance were apprehended. Majority of violators are apprehended while smoking in public places. Ardales asked the Committee to put up more signages to inform the public. A hundred more barangay tanods in the urban barangays of the city were deputized by the enforcement team to apprehend violators.

Ms. Rose Orbita of the Smoke-Free Committee said that the Committee will liaise with the Civil Service Commission and the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board Regional Offices in the monitoring and implementation of their office’s Memorandum Circulars about smoking and signages.

Source: Smoke-free Legazpi Official Website