The Seventh day Adventists supported us in our seminars. During their Visayas Youth Assembly held at Maasin City Forest Park, Adventists from all parts of the Visayas, including their pastors, manifested their appreciation on our political will to campaign our people against smoking. The Church continued supporting our endeavors through their prayers and always inspired us to continue our cause for the good health of the our constituents.
All other religious denominations through the association of the different pastors in Maasin, showed their support by inviting me in one of their meetings. They pledged their support by inspiring their church members to refrain from smoking. The program also earned the support of the Muslim community through their imam.
Of course the biggest inspiration came from the dominant Roman Catholic Church and religious organizations like Knights of Columbus and Gawad Kalinga who showed undying support to our advocacy.
Non-government organizations, civic clubs and private establishments helped us in our campaign by posting tarpaulins urging people to quit smoking.
The Maasin City Jail became a smoke-free city jail, the first in Region 8 and probably in the whole Philippines. It was not an easy task controlling smoking in a place where suspected criminals and convicts are housed. At first inmates protested and threatened to stage a hunger strike. I explained that it is for their own good. Non-smokers suffered much the consequences in a congested prison cell. Later the Bureau of Jail and Management Penology (BJMP) Regional Director ordered that all jails in Eastern Visayas should follow the example of Maasin City.
I campaigned on all city employees to stop smoking. Certificate of non-smoker is required for all employees, permanent, casual or job order. Those who could not quit right away were required to undergo smoking cessation seminars. Cigarette in the city hall is very rare or none at all. Even people who transacted business at the city hall were barred from smoking in the city hall premises. Employees wear badges "Serbisyong Walay Sigarilyo."
Maasin City College, owned and operated by the city government, is now the number one smoke-free college campus in Eastern Visayas and was awarded by the DOH. Mere position of cigarette, match or lighter in the MCC campus is strictly prohibited.
Maasin City Forest Park at Sitio Danao, Malapoc Norte is declared as a smoke-free zone. In one activity participated by delegates all over the country, during the Boy Scouts of the Philippines 7th National Rover Moot and One-Visayas Jamboree all participants, adult leaders and visitors were prohibited from smoking.
Motorcabs' and pedicabs' franchises were not renewed if they did not post No Smoking signs inside their vehicles. Smoking is strictly prohibited in public utility vehicles and in public places such as plaza, market, terminal, schools, hospitals, clinics, restaurants and other covered places. Public place is defined as a place where people converge.
I was able to convince the management of the provincial hospital especially smoking doctors to refrain from their vices especially if patients could view them smoking. Besdies the Province of Southern Leyte has passed an ordinance declaring the province as smoke-free. A smoking area was also designated in the cockpit.
Tobacco advertisements and promotions were prohibited. Tarpaulins showing the ill effects of a smoker's body and campaigning people to quit smoking abound the streets and public places instead.
Maasin won its first Red Orchid Award given by the Department of Health in coordination with the World Health Organization and the Bloomberg Foundation on May 31, 2010. Red orchid is the most sensitive of all varieties of orchids. When there's smoke due to pollution or cigarette, it withers. Maasin City is one of the only five local government units awarded the Red Orchid which include Davao City, Balanga City, Talisayan in Misamis Oriental and Calauag in Quezon.
The following year on May 31, 2011, Maasin City led all cities in receiving its second Red Orchid Award. Davao City, Roxas City, Balanga City and Legaspi City also were awarded. There were also 13 municipalities who received the Red Orchid, including Pintuyan and Naval, who conducted seminars and learned the techniques in Maasin.
During the awarding, I met Running Priest Father Robert Reyes, a staunch advocate of anti-smoking. In his runs, he spread the word on the killer effects of tobacco. We had conducted also our Takbo Kontra Tabako on May 23, 2011 one day before my birthday. It was a run for a cause and all the proceeds were given as financial assistance to victims of tobacco-related diseases.
There was DOH Caraga Region who conducted studies in Maasin. Four municipalites of Biliran and two of Southern Leyte became recipients of our seminar-trainings. The masteral students of Southwestern University from Cebu conducted their lakbay aral primarily to learn how effective the anti-tobacco program of Maasin is. Nursing students from different schools made a survey on our people on the lessening or quitting of their smoking habits.
I campaigned anti-smoking thoroughly to all barangay captains and other officials. A Barangay Red Orchid Award has started with big prizes awaiting the winners in the urban and rural category.
The coming Eastern Visayas Regional Athletic Association meet in Maasin will be the first ever smoke-free EVRAA. Coaches, trainers and officials are prohibited from smoking to show good examples to their athletes.
In a great show of political will and to show how serious we are in our anti-smoking campaign, I suspended all permits for the selling of cigarettes in the entire city.
There is still a lot of room for improvement in our anti-smoking advocacy. We do this for the concern of the health of our constituents especially the wives, mothers and children who are greatly affected by second-hand smoke.
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