BAGUIO CITY (PIA) — Rooftops of buildings in Baguio City are strictly prohibited as designated smoking areas.
Dr. Donnabel Tubera-Panes, Baguio City Tobacco Control Program Coordinator and Chief of the Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, made the clarification at the 2nd Semester Regional Tobacco Control Network meeting, where she presented updates on the city’s Smoke-Free Baguio Ordinance.
Under the ordinance, designated smoking areas (DSAs) must be open, outdoor spaces with no walls or roof—meaning they must be under direct sunlight. They are also not allowed within 10 meters of entrances, exits, or areas where people gather. “Sa parking lot, X agad iyan,” Dr. Panes said.
“Any building rooftop cannot be used as a DSA,” she emphasized.
She clarified that only government offices not in health, social service, or education sectors may establish DSAs. The city is set to partner with the Civil Service Commission to finalize approval processes.
Panes said the policy is a public health initiative, not a means to collect fines.
“The Constitution protects the right to health, not the right to smoke,” she said.
The 16-page ordinance is based on the World Health Organization Framework
Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), ensuring global health standards.
It covers all individuals in Baguio’s territory and bans smoking and vaping in enclosed public places, workplaces, and public conveyances like jeepneys, buses, and taxis, except in approved DSAs.
It defines smoking as the act of having a lighted cigarette or engaging in vaping, requiring both inhalation and exhalation to constitute a violation.
Selling tobacco products to minors, selling within 100 meters of schools or government facilities, and selling loose cigarettes are also prohibited. Tobacco products include cigarettes, cigars, pipes, and chew tobacco.
With the implementation of its Smoke-Free Baguio Ordinance, Baguio City is recognized as the strictest city in the Philippines for smoke-free measures.
Recently, Baguio received the Global Tobacco Control Champion Award in Dublin, Ireland. It is also training other areas including Pangasinan, Benguet, Kalinga, Iloilo, and Aklan on its best practices, Dr. Panes said. **JDP/MAWC-PIA CAR
