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BY MAE SINGUAY
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Friday, August, 4, 2017
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BACOLOD City – No one is exempted.
The Bacolod Anti-Smoking Task Force (BASTF) yesterday trained its members on the proper enforcement of the smoking ban, which will be in full effect starting Monday next week.
At the MassKara Hall of the Bacolod City Government Center, proper apprehension procedures and guidelines on designating smoking areas were discussed, said Councilor Caesar Distritio, BASTF vice chairman.
“We will exempt no one,” Distrito stressed.
Copies of the guidelines were distributed to representatives of business establishments who attended the training.
The Bacolod Traffic Authority Office (BTAO) is tasked to monitor public utility vehicles.
The BASTF is in charge of other areas, as stated in the Comprehensive Anti-Smoking Ordinance and President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order (EO) No. 26.
The BTAO already apprehended 15 in-transit offenders as of this writing.
Following the nationwide smoking ban, Mayor Evelio Leonardia issued EO No. 22 reviving the anti-smoking task force.
Under EO No. 22, the BASTF shall implement, enforce and monitor the smoking ban, as well as conduct information campaigns and capacity building programs, and train its enforcers.
Smoking is prohibited in schools, playgrounds, parks and other areas frequented by minors, stairs and elevators, hospitals, clinics, laboratories, public utility vehicles, and food and beverage factories, the ordinance stated.
Buildings and other enclosed areas like malls, restaurants, terminals, churches, cinema, and other similar places open to the public must also be smoke-free – except the designated smoking areas, or DSAs.
Violators will be fined P500 on first offense, P1,000 on second offense, and P2,500 and/or a 30-day imprisonment on third offense./PN
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