MANILA, Philippines – Eighty six local government units (LGUs) have passed smoke-free ordinances since President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law a bill banning smoking in public places nationwide two years ago, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said Wednesday.
“We saw an active adoption by local government units of smoke-free policies on the protection of the public from exposure to tobacco smoke, establishing designated smoking areas (DSAs), and creating Smoke-free Task Force, among others,” DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said in a statement.
Duterte signed Executive Order (EO) 26 on May 2017, banning smoking in public places, whether indoor or outdoor.
READ: Duterte signs EO banning smoking nationwide
Based on a joint study conducted by the DILG with non-government organization Health Justice, 86 cities have so far passed smoke-free ordinances. 48 of the cities has also set up designated smoking areas.
Meanwhile, the study also found that 65 cities have created smoke-free task forces, including the cities of Baguio, Marikina and Pasay, to ensure that the smoking ban policies are being enforced.
Malaya said that while the 86 cities is a “relatively high number,” he noted that there are still cities which are not compliant with smoke-free policies.
“Smoke-free means 100 percent free from tobacco smoke, where it cannot be seen, smelled, sensed or measured,” he stressed. /gsg