By Jade C. Zaldivar
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio wants all establishments in the city to be 100% smoke-free.
The mayor said the local government is intensifying its campaign against smoking as the city recently bagged its third Red Orchid Award. The award, annually bestowed by the Department of the Health on Local Government Units, Centers for Health Development, Government Hospitals and Government Offices for advocating 100% tobacco-free environments, placed Davao City in its Hall of Fame.
“We’re pushing for 100 percent tobacco-free places in Davao City. So far we’re receiving enthusiastic support,” she said.
Duterte-Carpio said she is looking forward to the time when all establishments, especially malls, would stop providing smoking rooms.
“Naa nay mall nga nag-volunteer—ang NCCC Mall. They are now tobacco-free. They have seen the detriment in having a smoking room,” she said.
Duterte-Carpio said most of those who use the mall’s smoking room were young people.
“Nakita nila nga kadaghanan dito mga bata nagapanigarilyo,” she said.
Establishments in the city are also expressing support to the city’s anti-smoking campaign move by hanging banners. These include are Jollibee, Taps, and Chowking.
The city mayor also lauded the proposal of Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte last Sunday to amend the city’s Anti-Smoking Ordinance to widen its scope.
“Very good. That’s the work of a vice mayor,” Duterte-Carpio said.
During his TV show “Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa,” the elder Duterte said he intends to amend the city ordinance including the removal of the provision allowing the smoking rooms.
The vice mayor also said he also wants the smoking room at the Davao International Airport removed.
“I would like to serve a notice that we will amend the law to remove the smoking room and make the ordinance general for all. Didto mo sa gawas panigarilyo (You can only smoke outside),” Duterte said.
The city mayor concurred, saying the DOH’s thrust is to make all government facilities smoke-free.
“Actually ang nahibalan nako wala na dapat smoking room sa airport. Because ang thrust sa DOH kay tanang government facilities kay walay designated nga smoking area,” she said.
“Meaning ang push sa DOH is for 100 percent tobacco-free government places. Pero last night (Sunday) naa ko sa airport and I saw nga open diay gihapon ang ilang smoking area,” she added.
The city mayor added that the Anti-Smoking Task Force is currently crafting project proposals to the DOH to utilize the P500,000 cash prize bestowed along with the third Red Orchid Award the city received last week.
Davao City has been in the forefront of the smoke-free campaign since it enacted its Comprehensive Anti-Smoking Ordinance in 2002, which was considered as the first exhaustive anti-smoking law in the country, well ahead of the 2003 Tobacco Regulation Act.
