By MERLINDA A. PEDROSA
The Bacolod City council urged authorities to reinvigorate and intensify the enforcement of the city’s Comprehensive Anti-Smoking Ordinance through a coordinated multi-agency effort.
The Sangguniang Panlungsod urged Mayor Greg Gasataya to direct and coordinate the efforts of the City Legal Office Enforcement Team, Public Order and Safety Office, City Health Office, Bacolod Traffic and Transport Management Department, barangay officials, authorized barangay enforcement personnel, and the Bacolod City Police Office in conducting regular anti-smoking enforcement operations and monitoring activities throughout the city.
Councilor Caesar Distrito said the council calls to strengthen the implementation of City Ordinance No. 641, or the Comprehensive Bacolod City Anti-Smoking Ordinance, particularly within school premises, inside public utility jeepneys, transport terminals, downtown area, hospital grounds, public plazas, gasoline stations, and other public places where smoking is prohibited.
He said the measure was prompted by persistent reports and public observations of individuals smoking in areas regularly accessed by students, commuters, patients, and the public despite existing prohibitions under city and national laws.
“More than a decade after the enactment of our Comprehensive Anti-Smoking Ordinance, we continue to see violations in places where smoking is clearly prohibited. This resolution seeks to ensure that the ordinance is not only on paper but is consistently enforced for the protection of public health,” he added.
Distrito noted that every Bacolodnon has the right to breathe clean air and be protected from the harmful effects of tobacco smoke and secondhand smoke.
He said that smoking continues to be observed even on school premises, including covered sidewalks, waiting areas and other locations frequented by students, exposing minors and non-smokers to secondhand smoke.
He said the resolution highlights continued violations in and around public utility jeepneys and terminals despite prohibitions under city ordinance, Republic Act No. 9211 or the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003, and Executive Order No. 26 establishing smoke-free environments in public enclosed places.
“The continued presence of smoking in public places undermines the objectives of our smoke-free policies and poses unnecessary health risks to the public,” he added.
Distrito stressed that the city should also have intensified public information and education campaigns, the installation and maintenance of highly visible “No Smoking” signage, and the consistent apprehension and issuance of citations against violators in accordance with existing laws and ordinances.
“This resolution is not simply about issuing penalties. It is about protecting public health, promoting responsible behavior, and ensuring that our public spaces remain safe, healthy and smoke-free for everyone,” the councilor said./MAP, WDJ