Parañaque Implements Strengthened Anti-Smoking Campaign
(Photo credit: Manila Bulletin)
Smoking, despite doing more harm than good, is still rampant almost anywhere you go. Even simply walking on the street, you can see people puffing on a stick while chatting with friends or just staring in the horizon.
Still, wouldn’t it be good to be in a smoke-free city? We have shared before the five reasons to quit smoking. Hope it did motivate some. If not, there is a continuous campaign in creating a smoke-free city. Recently, Parañaque fortified its anti-smoking movement.
The local government of Parañaque posted an entry on its website that contains the details of a strengthened anti-smoking campaign in the city. From the post, it mentioned that Mayor Edwin Olivarez stood firm in making the city the first green city under his administration. He has become more active in the efforts to minimize smoking, and possibly eliminate it, in the city.
The ordinance indicates that smoking is strictly prohibited in the following places:
- All government structures and premises
- Elevators and stairwells of both public and private buildings
- Location in which fire hazard is present, including gas stations, and storage areas for flammable liquids, gas, explosive, or combustible materials
- All centers of youth activity such as play schools, preparatory schools, elementary schools, high schools, colleges, and universities both public and private, youth hostels and recreational activities for persons under eighteen (18) years old
- Within the buildings and entire premises of public and private hospitals, medical, dental and optical clinics, health centers, nursing homes, dispensaries, and laboratories
- All places of worship
- Inside museums, libraries, theaters, auditoriums and coliseums both public and private
- Inside groceries, supermarket and convenience stores
- Inside markets both public and private
- Inside public comfort rooms
- Public outpost
For buildings and establishments that want to put a smoking area or have existing smoking areas without proper authorization, the owners are required to apply proper permits. All owners of business establishments such as restaurants, sports clubs, night clubs, and commercial buildings who want to maintain smoking areas within their premises are also required to apply for the requisite permit from the city hall or they will be subjected to penalties or even closure orders.
Mayor Olivarez firmly warned that violators will be apprehended, pay the required fines, and be placed under other sanctions stipulated in the ordinance.
City Administrator Fernando Soriano mentioned the penalties for violating the ordinance are as follows.
For individual violators:
- Php 500 on their first offense
- Php 1, 000 on the second offense
- Php 1, 500 on the third offense
For establishments:
- Php 2, 000 on the first offense
- Php 3, 000 on the second offense
- PhP 5, 000 or closure on the third offense
He added that the violators will be issued a Notice of Violation (NOV). It will be stated in the notice that the violator may either file a protest or promptly pay the corresponding fine.
NOVs are deemed final and are to be executed should no protest be filed by the violator.
Mayor Olivarez added:
“The only way that we can guarantee our campaign’s ultimate success is to leave an indelible mark so lasting that non-smoking has become a habit for generations to come. Now is the time to make that mark in history.”
For the detailed copy of the Anti-Smoking Ordinance in Parañaque, you can find it here.
What do you think? Will this be effective?
Will other cities in Metro Manila follow suit?
Share your thoughts with us!
Parañaque Implements Strengthened Anti-Smoking Campaign
