THE city government of Pasig will soon arrest smokers in public places as part of its new program for clean air, safe water and a healthy environment.

During a ceremony held at the city hall, Mayor Robert Eusebio said the program, dubbed as “Pasig Green City,” is aimed at promoting the development of urban forests to improve the environment and to attain the desired tree-to-person ratio of 1:4. It also wishes to develop Pasig into an environmental friendly city through the bayanihan spirit.

Part of the project includes an information campaign in schools, industries and communities about proper waste disposal and pollution management where violators will be apprehended after a 90-day period.

Some 100 volunteers from nongovernment organizations, communities and barangay officials were tapped to serve as the city government’s “green police.”

The “green police” would arrest those persons throwing garbage in creeks and rivers, smoking in public places, smoke belchers and the likes.

The specific programs conceptualized in relation to the project include the “Bantay Hangin, Bantay Usok” wherein the city government will launch an Anti-Smoke Belching Campaign that would include the testing of the mufflers, not only of jeeps and cars, but also those of tricycles.

Manila does the same

Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim issued an order banning smoking in the direct environs of city hall.

“Smoking is a public health risk,” he said. “The city government has a duty to protect the health of the people. We must be role models.”

Smoking and secondhand smoke were proved to have significant health risks.

According to the Manila Health Department, for the year 2006 more than 200 Manila residents were reported to suffer from respiratory diseases linked with smoking and exposure to cigarette smoke.

In 2006, 168 cases of lung cancer, 80 cases of congestive obstructive pulmonary disease and 57 cases of emphysema were recorded by the Health Department.

Republic Act 9211, the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003, prohibits smoking in public places. Lim intends to extend the ban to the fullest possible extent of the law to encompass all public places in the city.
--Francis Earl A. Cueto and Katrice R. Jalbuena