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Duterte signs nationwide smoking ban, put to effect
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were put up around the city to remind the city to remind the people of the nationwide smoking ban. [PHOTO ILOILO TODAY]
by Dazen Dawn P. Lariza
To promote public health over business interests, President Rodrigo Duterte signed Executive Order No. 26 or the Nationwide Smoking ban last May 16 and was put to effect last July 23. According to Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Paulyn Ubial, the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) banning smoking in public places might come out before the President’s State of the Nation Address in July. “We’re hoping that the IRR will come out before the 60 days that is outlined in the executive order for full implementation,” Ubial said during a press conference on the observance of the World No Tobacco Day last May.
However, the DOH Chief encouraged the Local Government Units to make their own tobacco control ordinances before EO 26 took effect. “There are LGUs which have ordinances that are stricter than the EO that can continue. What we will look into are the LGUs without existing ordinances in terms of implementation because the EO will now cover all the executive branches of government, so that includes the LGUs that have not passed their local ordinances,” she said. She added that LGUs should refer to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) as basis for their ordinances as it is the legal basis of other local government units in implementing stricter ordinances. However, e-cigarettes and vapes are not
included in the smoking ban as it does not fit the definition of tobacco products that are to be banned in accordance with the EO. “We will include [them] when we have more [information] and [recommendation] from WHO,” Ubial said in an interview with Rappler. EO 26 bans smoking in all public places including schools, work places, government facilities, establishments that provide food and drinks, accommodations and professional services; outdoor spaces like playgrounds, sports centers, church grounds, hospitals, transportation terminals, markets, parks, resorts, waiting areas, walkways and sidewalks; elevators and stairwells; locations where fire hazards are present; and public transportation.
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A crane and a backhoe excavates and prepares the land for the building's construction. [PHOTO PATRICK KYLE L. ITA-AS]
number of students, and also for us to accommodate the incoming grade 11 students for the next school year,” Eriman said. He further stated that some Senior High School enrollees were denied enrolment due to lack of facilities this school year. “Almost 300 enrollees for SY 2017-2018 were denied due to limited classrooms,” he said. Eriman also said that the building will be fully equipped with amenities including a laboratory, air-conditioned classrooms, and even an elevator, with the total cost of roughly of over 200 million pesos. The construction is expected for completion on or before the school year 2018-2019. It will be the tallest building within the University campus.
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