Iloilo City: The local government here has been proactive in its anti-smoking campaign, according to Iloilo City Anti-Smoking Task Force (ICAST) executive director I±igo Garingalao on Monday. “The enforcement campaign in Iloilo City is continuous. We are regularly updating our ordinances to really face this threat. This is ongoing and it has to be sustainable,” Garingalao said in an interview.

According to Philippines News Agency, the city is stringent regarding tobacco advertisements, promotions, and sponsorships. It maintains awareness campaigns for all ages, promotes smoke-free establishments and events, engages in inter-office collaborations, and partners with the Philippine National Police (PNP) for enforcement, among other initiatives.

Iloilo City’s Comprehensive Anti-Smoking Ordinance prohibits smoking and vaping in public places and transport utilities. Citation tickets are issued to violators, with a corresponding fine of PHP1,500 and/or imprisonment for three days upon the discretion of the court for the first offense; PHP2,000 and/or five days imprisonment upon the discretion of the court for a second offense; and PHP5,000 and/or 10 days imprisonment at the court’s discretion for the third and succeeding violations.

Establishments without anti-smoking signage or those displaying advertisements of cigarette companies may face up to a PHP5,000 fine and/or suspension of permits to operate or closure. Garingalao proposed an anti-smoking orientation with the City Health Office, Iloilo Medical Society, and PNP, extending to the community level.

Garingalao praised the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) for urging local government units (LGUs) to pass ordinances supporting the enforcement of laws regulating tobacco, vapor, and vaporized nicotine products. He noted the need for some LGUs to review their ordinances, emphasizing the availability of a template that they can use.

For LGUs that already have ordinances, the challenge lies in enforcement and sustainability, Garingalao mentioned. “For us, we have been sustaining it and enforcing it since 2010,” he said of Iloilo City.

In 2024, Iloilo City was awarded the first Association of Southeast Asian Nations Smoke-free Award, the highest recognition by the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance, a multi-sectoral alliance based in Thailand that aids member countries in developing and implementing their tobacco control policies.