Efforts to amend smoke-free ordinance in Dumaguete fasttracked

By Rachelle M. Nessia

Wednesday 8th of August 2012

DUMAGUETE CITY, August 8 (PIA) -- Smoke-free advocates are pushing for the amendment of the Smoke-Free Ordinance in Dumaguete City which is set to be enforced in all public places and government-owned buildings in the city on September 1, 2012.

In a press conference called by the city government Tuesday, Bernie Maniego of the Seventh-Day Adventist Health and Communication Center disclosed that they are pushing for Dumaguete Mayor Manuel Sagarbarria to issue an urgent appeal to the city council to fastrack the proposed amendments to the ordinance before it takes effect on Sept. 1.

“We are now in the process of amending the ordinance, changing the penalty of first-time offenders from reprimand only to a P100-fine,” said Maniego.

Maniego’s group along with the Framework Convention Alliance on Tobacco- Free Philippines have been working closely with local government units (LGUs) in Negros Oriental for the adoption of the smoke-free law.

The smoke-free ordinance in Dumaguete, which was passed in April 2011, mandates that penalty for first offense violators are reprimand and participation in an orientation the ill-effects of smoking.

The proposed amendment to replace the reprimand to a P100-fine will help effect a behavior change among smokers in the city which is the main goal of the ordinance, said Maniego.

During the presscon, City Administrator William Ablong said the ordinance will be strictly enforced on September 1.

“There will be no grace period. Violators will be arrested and penalties will be enforced,” said Ablong.

The city government earlier conducted two batches of training for the ordinance’s enforcers numbering around 100. They are composed of Task Force SAGARR members, barangay tanods, and police personnel.

City Councilor Manuel Arbas, one of the smoke-free ordinance’s authors, said the public should not only rely on the enforcers in the law’s implementation.

“Any person who witnessed a violation of the law can file a complaint with the task force,” he said in the same presscon.

To date, there are now only three remaining LGUs out of the total 25 in Negros Oriental that are yet to adopt a smoke-free ordinance. (RMN/PIA Negros Oriental)