THE City Government of Iloilo is getting ready for validation for Red Orchid Award in May 23 and for mobilization of working committees for the awarding of winners in the Visayas Cluster which will be held in the city on June 30, 2014.
The Department of Health's (DOH) Red Orchid Awards is the Search for 100-percent tobacco-free provinces, municipalities, cities, government offices, government hospitals and health agencies.
Winners in all local government units, non-government organizations, institutions, and government entities in three Visayan regions will converge in the city to vie as the Visayas representative in the national Red Orchid Awards to be held in Metro Manila before the end of the year.
Iñigo Garingalao, executive director of the Iloilo City Anti-Smoking Task Force (ICast), said the city is also set to celebrate the Smoking Avoidance Emphasis Week slated from May 19 to 30 which is expected to step-up validation for Red Orchid Day.
The activity is part of a series of activities in the celebration of World No-Tobacco Day on May 30, 2014, Garingalao said.
During this period, an enhanced awareness on anti-smoking awareness will be adopted as a Lakbay-Aral program and all LGUs in Western Visayas are expected to adopt the smoke-free initiatives.
Amended Regulation Ordinance 2013-348 provided for a comprehensive anti-smoking ordinance in the city calling for prohibited acts and administrative violations on business establishments in Iloilo City.
Garingalao said more than 2,000 establishments were already issued with tickets for compliance of the amended ordinance and mass inspection will be held in May 30.
The prohibited acts on business establishments include:
- no “No Smoking” signages in entrance and inside the establishments,
- providing ash trays in tables within the No Smoking area,
- knowingly allowing abetting or tolerating smoking any tobacco or using electronic device, shishia and the likes,
- designating smoking area within the building or establishment,
- selling and allowing minors to smoke in the establishment,
- non-declaration in the business permit indicating the establishment is smoke-free,
- allowing smoking during events,
- and selling of cigarettes in front of schools.