BAGUIO CITY — The Anti-Smoking Task Force of the Baguio City government is having villagers police their own communities in implementing the city’s “Smoke-Free Baguio” drive.
“For this campaign to materialize, we need the 128 barangays to participate, and to be informed about the ill effects of smoking, especially among the youth, since a lot of smokers nowadays start at a young age,” Councilor Joel Alangsab, chairman of the City Council’s committee on ethics, governmental affairs, and personnel, said during the regular meeting of the Anti-Smoking Task Force on Tuesday.
Mayor Mauricio Domogan issued Administrative Order (AO) 136 last Sept. 8 to put up community and district task forces to implement Baguio’s anti-smoking ordinance that was passed in May 2017.
Alangsab said the AO allows the commissioning of community and district task forces to help implement Ordinance 34-2017, which prohibits the use, sale, distribution, and advertisement of cigarettes and other tobacco products in certain places, imposing penalties, and allotting corresponding funds.
He said the assigned barangay and district task forces are undergoing training on the proper implementation of the ordinance.
“We would want to involve everybody here, encouraging them to have a passion for saving our air in Baguio City,” he said. “We really need the help of the communities for this advocacy to materialize, and of course, to encourage the residents to help report violators,” he said.
Together with the Peace and Order and Safety Division of the city government and the Baguio City Police Office, the task force holds regular spot inspections in establishments to compel businesses, the smokers, and the public, in general, to comply with the “Smoke-Free Baguio” ordinance. (Pamela Mariz Geminiano/PNA)
