MAY 31 is World No Tobacco Day. This reminds me of my devastating experience in a coffee shop and Iloilo City Regulation Ordinance or the Anti Smoking Ordinance (ASO) which bans smoking in all public places and conveyances.

I can still recall how former city councilor Joshua Alim and his anti smoking task force religiously and actively enforced the old ordinance in PUJ’s, malls and all public places.

It was only during councilor Jam-Jam Baronda’s stint as task force chair when the present council modified the old ordinance and reconciled contradicting provisions.

The revised ordinance was signed by the publicly-known chain smoker Mayor Jerry Treñas. We have yet to know if the ASO is still in effect.

Ang ASO nadula lang nga daw aso.

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As we observe the World No Tobacco Day, the city’s anti-smoking ordinance and our city officials must play a big role.

Iloilo City councilor Julienne “Jamjam” Baronda, who chairs the anti-smoking task force, should check out SM City mall in Mandurriao, Robinsons Place and other malls.

A coffee shop (Café Rue) on the second floor near the cinema lobby allows people to smoke indoors. A colleague and I were also having a cup of coffee one Saturday afternoon at the lobby of Café Rue where non-smokers like us used to stay.

After several minutes we noticed ginbuksan nila ang puwertahan sang smoking area.

Café Rue must shut their doors to allow smoking customers to inhale and exhale their own smoke inside.

We don’t care if hundreds of their clientele smoke the whole day as long as they contain the offensive smoke.

Sunoga da baga nyo.

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The Department of Health (DOH-6) said tobacco continues to be a leading global killer. Doctors said non-smokers who are exposed to second hand smoking are more at risk because the particles of exhaled smoke are smaller. They reach deeper into the lungs of a passive smoker. To protect our health from the ill effects of second hand tobacco smoke, government must strictly enforce our law for a smoke-free environment.

Café Rue must be fined!

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Last week in two separate instances, I witnessed two unidentified drivers of a Leganes-SM hi-way jeepney with plate number GWG-898 and a Jaro Liko jeepney bearing plate number FVF-696, smoke cigarettes while driving. They are making a mockery of the city’s anti smoking ordinance.

If Baronda and other city officials are not serious in strictly enforcing the city’s anti smoking ordinance, there’s no way this Regulation Ordinance 2006-150 or ASO will achieve its purpose.

Anyway, she (Baronda) earned an extensive media mileage. Libre lang!

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While Iloilo city has the ASO, Congress passed the Anti Smoking Law. Based on data I gathered, it took more than 10 years and three presidents before the battle against smoking was won in Congress. The Anti Smoking Law was enacted June 2003 by President Arroyo. It was already then Senator Juan Flavier’s last term in office.

The success was short-lived. A few months later, as Flavier wrote in his biography, Arroyo inaugurated one of the biggest and most modern cigarette factories in the country in Batangas.

Ano klase gobyerno ni man?

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We can still see billboards and tarpaulins hanging around every corner printed with faces of Mayor Jerry, Vice Mayor Jed and Councilor Jam-Jam informing the public of the amended anti smoking ordinance and its penalties.

If it is a great success or failure, that’s another story.

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