BAGUIO CITY – Members of the Baguio City Smoke-Free Task Force laid down strategies envisioned to level up the city’s smoke-free campaign in the next three years during the strategic planning held Aug. 13-16 in Iloilo City.
The team set the vision: “Baguio City: Global Model in Smoke-Free and Healthy Environment” as the guidepost of the campaign for 2019-2022.
The participants who came from the various departments and divisions of the city government led by Councilor Joel Alangsab who authored Ordinance No. 34-17 or the Some-Free Ordinance of Baguio City, City Health Officer Dr. Rowena Galpo and City Treasurer Alex Cabarrubias presented the status of their smoke-free programs through the strength-weakness-opportunities-threat (SWOT) analyses of their offices in relation to their role in the campaign.
They later proposed the activities, plans and programs to strengthen the implementation of the drive to draw up the strategic plan for the campaign.
The Smoke-Free Project Team of the Health Services Office led by Project Development Officer Cecille Agpawa who facilitated the sessions said the team identified key action points for smoke-free activities.
These are: Protecting Public Health Policies from Tobacco Industry Interference, Reducing Affordability and Accessibility of Tobacco Products, Implementing Stronger Measures to Protect the Public from Exposure to Tobacco Smoke, Strengthening Mass Media Campaign and other Communication Strategies to Sustain Public Awareness and Promote Cessation of Tobacco Use among Youth and Adults.
Specific programs and activities with time table and funding requirements were then identified and spelled out for each area to make up the three-year strategic plan.
On protecting policies from tobacco industry interference, the team proposed activities towards advocating for the removal of the tobacco industry in the Inter-Agency Committee on Tobacco (IAC-T) and its restructuring and for the strict implementation of the strengthened Civil Service Commission-Dept. of Health Joint Memorandum Circular 2010-01 and the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Article 5.3 under General Obligations on National and Local Government.
Trainings for the City Legal Office on this end were also suggested.
To reduce affordability and accessibility of the products, effective taxation and increase of age limit of purchase to 21 years will be considered.
Other proposed action plans were for the adoption and enforcement of the WHO FCTC Article 8, development of information-education-communication materials, implementation of the policy on national clinical practice guidelines on diagnosis and management of tobacco dependence and establishment of quit line support system.
At the start of the session, the participants were given updates on initiatives on tobacco control in the international and national levels by Michelle Palmones, technical advisor of The Union Philippines, (the Union is an international voluntary organization providing platforms to fight tobacco-related diseases and strengthen tobacco control programs in countries with high tobacco use).
A refresher on the national government’s policies for health particularly on smoking was facilitated by Dr. Donnabel Tubera, tobacco control officer of the HSO.
The local task force members had a sharing of experiences and best practices with the Iloilo City Anti-Smoking Task Force (ICAST) led by Director Inigo Garingalao.
Garingalao facilitated the participants’ visit to the Iloilo City Hall where they paid a call to Mayor Jerry Trenas.
Meanwhile, the first Smoke-Free Baguio Convention will be mounted on Aug. 27 at the Venus Parkview Hotel.
Focusing on the theme, “Communities Converge for an Empowered Smoke-Free Baguio, the convention will be participated in by members of the city and community task forces, city council, Alay sa Kalinisan, Baguio Regreening Movement, transport groups, legal partners, Dept. of Health, Civil Service Commission, Philippine Export Zone Authority Baguio, legal partners and the media. ** Aileen P. Refuerzo
