BAGUIO CITY – The Baguio City Smoke-Free Task Force plans to conduct smoking cessation campaign for business process outsourcing (BPO) workers in the City to help them kick the habit.
City tobacco control officer Dr. Donnabel Tubera said the task force upon inspection of BPO units at the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) at Loakan Proper barangay found out that there is a high number of smokers among the work force particulary among call center agents.
In one company which was the subject of a surprise inspection by the task force last Tuesday, 65 percent of the agents were known smokers, according to a human resource executive who said this was based on a study done on their workers.
“It is understandable with the kind of work that they do that they turn to smoking to release their tension or stresses but we have to make them realize that smoking does more harm than good to their bodies,” Tubera said.
“Smokers should not be frowned upon instead we should help them quit because they are just victims of the tobacco industry,” she added.
The task force will coordinate with the BPO companies to work out the adoption of the smoke cessation program in their HR units and train personnel to conduct information-education-communication drives and counseling among their employees.
During the inspection, the team composed of representatives from the City Health Services Office, Public Order and Safety Division, Public Information Office and the Baguio City Police Office sub-station 4 led by P/Chief Insp. Jerry Haduca checked the designated smoking areas of the BPO units and the PEZA office to determine whether they are compliant with Ordinance No. 34 series of 2017 or the Smoke-Free Baguio ordinance.
Recommendations were made on those that are not compliant.
PEZA Environment Health and Safety Division Chief Dave Dale Challongen welcomed the task force’s suggestions on strengthening the smoke cessation program for BPOs and entertained proposals to achieve their goal to become a totally smoke-free zone in the future.
He invited Tubera to speak on the topic in one of their safety conferences which they hold regularly for the employees.
Before proceeding to the PEZA, the task force also conducted a lightning inspection of stores along Purok Sadjo, Loakan Proper where some were found to be violating the provisions of the ordinance.
Tubera said the spot inspections of establishments will continue while follow-up checks on firms inspected earlier will also be sustained. **Aileen P. Refuerzo
