Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada on Monday ordered the strict enforcement of a city ordinance that bans smoking in public places in the city.
In a statement, Estrada said his Valentine’s wish for every Manileño was to quit smoking, in time for the observance of the National Heart Month under Proclamation No. 1096.
“Love your heart, quit smoking… For the sake of your family and loved ones, stop smoking. It won’t do you any good,” Estrada said.
“We will start here at the City Hall. I enjoin everyone, from rank-and-file employees to department heads and even city councilors, to comply with this antismoking ordinance,” he added.
City Ordinance No. 7748 prohibits smoking in all enclosed places like hospitals, schools, public buildings, shopping malls, and other public places in the capital. City Hall employees can smoke only in three designated areas, namely Arroceros, Taft Avenue, and Freedom Triangle gates, Estrada said.
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Estrada was hospitalized in December last year for asthmatic bronchitis. The former president said he had started chewing sugar-free medicated lozenges as an alternative to smoking after being discharged from the hospital.
President Rodrigo Duterte has yet to sign an executive order that will implement a no-smoking policy throughout the country, according to the Department of Health.
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