THE Iloilo City Council is slated to amend its Anti-Smoking Ordinance also known as City Regulation Ordinance 2006-150 to give more efficiency in the implementation of the law.
City Councilor Joshua Alim, the main proponent of the ordinance, said there are loopholes in certain portions of the 2006 ordinance such as definition of terms, prohibited acts and designation of smoking areas which need improvement and amendments.
In a public consultation and hearing of different opinions from stakeholders on Thursday, Alim said the Philippine government is a signatory to the Frankfurt Convention on Tobacco Control determined to give priority to the right to protect public health and measures on tobacco control.
The Tobacco Regulation Act (Republic Act 9211) empowers city and municipal mayors, building officials and the police with responsibilities of ensuring full compliance of the law.
The amendment will also prohibit any individual from smoking or using electronic devices within the compound of the school, public buildings, public conveyances and government-owned vehicles, locations in which fire hazards are present such as gasoline stations and storage area for inflammable liquids, gas explosives or combustible material, and within 10 meters in front and surrounding the premises of buildings of public and private hospitals, medical, dental, optical clinics and pharmacies.
The amendments also established no-smoking streets by declaring the streets of JM Basa and Iznart as “No Smoking” areas.
Alim said the amendments will be submitted to the city for ratification and inclusion as new provisions of the regulation ordinance.
