Naval town mayor signs ordinance for a smoke-free municipality

By FLOR JACKSON, PIA Biliran
January 25, 2011

NAVAL, Biliran  –  An ordinance passed and approved by the Sangguniang Bayan (SB) of Naval making the municipality as a smoke-free area was finally signed recently by Mayor Susan Parilla.

This was learned in a letter sent today by the lady mayor herself to the Philippine Information Agency, Biliran Provincial Information Center.

The letter indicated that one of the objectives of the local government unit (LGU) of Naval for a healthy environment for its residents is to promote Naval as a smoke-free municipality.

With the signing of the ordinance, Mayor Parilla informed that formal launching will be conducted on Monday, February 7, 2011 through a motorcade around poblacion Naval and the neighboring barangays of the municipality.

For his part, SB Member Gabino Velasquez, a medical doctor by profession and proponent of the ordinance said that the launching ceremony will be started with a flag ceremony at 7:30 in the morning at the Naval municipal grounds and this will be followed by a short program.  Key official of the municipality will deliver short messages to highlight the occasion.

Joining the launching ceremony and the motorcade are the officials and employees of the LGU-Naval, national government agencies based in Naval, private organizations and other civic organizations.

Balloons will be flown up in the skies to signal the start of the implementation of the smoke-free ordinance.

It was learned that early this year, an orientation on the salient features of the ordinance was conducted at the Naval SB session hall.  Said activity was attended by officials and representatives from the various concerned national government agencies, private organizations and businessmen here in Naval.

During the orientation, SB Member Velasquez explained the important provisions of the ordinance especially on the prohibitions in the selling of cigarettes in specific areas in the municipalities including its barangays.

He also discussed the dangers cigarettes bring to the smokers and the health risks of secondhand smoke.

He said, smoking could trigger to other diseases of the heart and blood vessels problems, cancer, lung problem and other health disorders.

Detailed discussions of the health hazards posed by smoking was given by Miss Queenie Amor, a nurse of the Biliran Provincial Hospital.

In order to saturate information about the provisions of the smoke-free ordinance up to the barangay level of the municipality of Naval, “Dok Gabby” as Dr. Gabino Velasquez III is fondly called by his friends and colleagues at the SB-Naval said they will conduct a massive information campaign regarding the ordinance so that it will be fully understood by everyone and no resistance will be observed.

“On Thursday, January 27, a symposium is scheduled at the Naval Statue University and this will be attended by the university students and faculty”, he said.