WITH the active and strong initiatives of local government officials in Bataan and the Tobacco-Free Generation (TFG) movement headed by its founder Dr. Koong Heng Nung, at least 5,000 young Bataan residents born from year 2000 onwards are encouraged to vow to never smoke in their entire life.
During the Tobacco-Free Generation (TFG) culminating activity held at the Vista Mall on September 27, Bataan Governor Albert Garcia said that the provincial government prioritizes the health of its constituents and implements projects that are towards the improvement of hospitals, rural health units, and barangay centers. Balanga City and Dinalupihan were awarded as the first Tobacco-Free City and Municipality, respectively.
The Tobacco-Free Generation is a social movement that seeks to re-balance the landscape of teenage smoking and encourages teens to be the generation that makes the difference, the generation that says NO to cigarettes and to look after themselves and their peers. The TFG Movement in Bataan, which started in 2016, has completed their information campaign this year with 44,173 students from 44 junior high schools who committed to never smoke in their lifetime.
Aside from the local government officials of Bataan, representatives of various national government agencies such as the Department of Education, Department of Health, and National Youth Commission were present to affirm their support and commitment to the anti-smoking campaign of the province.
Education Secretary Leonor Magtolis Briones affirmed DepEd’s strong commitment to continue its fight against smoking and promote a healthy environment in and around schools and DepEd offices. The Education Chief reiterated the salient features of DepEd Order No. 48, s.2016 or the Policy and Guidelines on Comprehensive Tobacco Control. This policy applies to all DepEd officials, teaching and non-teaching personnel, and all elementary and secondary students while in DepEd offices and school premises, or during official events and school activities held outside DepEd.
Through DO 48, DepEd also prohibits the establishment of Designated Smoking Areas not only in schools, as mandated by the law, but in all DepEd offices. It tasks the Child Protection Committee (CPC) of each school to report violations of tobacco control measures at the school level. The CPC, whose chairperson is the school principal, shall report violations not only of the absolute smoking ban in the premises of schools, but also of the ban on the sale, advertisement, and promotion of tobacco products in and within the 100-meter perimeter of the premises of all schools.
These guidelines also cover all private elementary and secondary students and school officials. Visitors and other persons who are within the premises of DepEd offices and elementary and secondary schools.
This school year, the Department also rolled out EskweLA BAN sa Sigarilyo in all schools nationwide, a project implemented in partnership with the Tobacco-Free Kids Action Fund, aimed at strengthening the implementation of the Department’s comprehensive tobacco control policy.