LEGAZPI CITY -- The City Health Office (CHO) here has awarded 72 establishments, including barangays and schools, with trophies for winning the search for 100-percent smoke-free establishments in a ceremony held at the AVP function hall restaurant on Tuesday.
The Legazpi City’s smoke-free program started with the implementation of Ordinance No. 0007-2009 or the revised smoke-free law, authored by former councilor and now Board Member Roly Rosal.
The ordinance was enacted by the Sangguniang Panlungsod and approved by former Mayor Geraldine Rosal in 2009.
Mayor Noel E. Rosal, in his statement during the ceremony, said the implementation of the city’s smoke-free ordinance is a shared responsibility of the city health office, as the leading implementing office, and the religious organizations, non-government organizations, schools and universities, business sector, the academe, and the law enforcers.
"We are not banning the smoking in Legazpi, but we are only regulating it in this city," he said.
Rosal has encouraged all the awardees, particularly the business establishments with air-conditioning, to put up smoking areas as the place for the smokers.
He commended all the awardees and the members of the smoke-free enforcement team for their full support to the implementation of the city’s smoke-free program.
"We have already more billboards signages and videos in different public places, conveyances, and other crowded areas as part of promoting Legazpi as the smoke-free territory," Rosal said.
The awarding ceremony was divided into four categories: The Hall of Famer, Red, Pink, and White.
The Hall of Famers are those with a rating of 100 percent for three consecutive years, while the red category were those establishments with a rating of 100 percent for first and second years. The Pink were those establishments with a rating of 91-99 percent, and the White category is for those with ratings of 85-90-percent smoke-free.
The Hall of Famers were the Legazpi Adventist Elementary School, Alibar Food Land, and Kim’s Bowl Food Garden.
In the Red category are government offices Social Security System (SSS), Government Services Insurance System (GSIS), and Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-Ibig)
In the barangay level were the villages of Rizal Street Ilawod and Dap-dap.
The awarded schools were the Legazpi Port Elementary School, Southern Luzon Technology, Mariners Polytechnic Colleges Foundation, Forbes Colleges Main Campus, Legazpi City Science High School, Albay Central School, Cat College, Gogon Elementary School, Legazpi Adventist School, and University of Santo Tomas Legazpi.
The Ago General Hospital was recognized as well.
Under the Restaurants category were the Layag Resto Grill, Family Kitchenette, Legazpi Restaurant, Fiesta Ballroom, Koron Native Cuisine, Chef Lee Café, and Legazpi Airport Buffet.
The feted hotels were the Vista Al Mayon, Emerald Hotel, Rex Hotel, and Legazpi Tourist Inn.
In the Pink category were government offices Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) regional office, Civil Service Commission (CSC) regional office, National Telecommunication Company (NTC), and Legazpi City Police Station main office.
In the Barangay level were the villages of Sagpon, Pigcale, Binanuahan East, and Capantawan.
In the School level was the Computer Communication Development Institute (CCDI).
In the Hotels were the Embarcadero de Legazpi and Tyche Boutique Hotel.
In the White category, government offices Population Commission (POPCOM), City Police Assistance Center # (CPAC) 3, and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) were awarded.
In the barangay level were the villages of Cabangan 20, Puro, Ilawod, Banadero, and Pinaric.
The schools were Bicol University (BU), Cabangan High School, St. Peter and Paul Early childhood Center, Saint Agnes Academy, AMA computer College, Ibalon Central School, Washington International School, Divine Word College of Legazpi High School Tanchuling College, Divine Word College Department, Bagumbayan Elementary School, and Forbes Colleges main campus.
The hospitals were the Tanchuling hospital, Legazpi City Hospital, and Albay Doctors Hospital.
In Restaurants were the Legazpi Four Seasons, Isihiaya de Legazpi, Bob Marlin Restaurant, Small Tallk and Sambalas Grill and Banquet Hall.
The hotels were the Legazpi Airport Hotel, Hotel Liatres, and Kimchi Hotel.
For three consecutive years from 2010 to 2013, the city government of Legazpi has been a recipient of the Red Orchid award and cited in the hall of fame by the Department of Health (DOH) for its effective implementation of its anti-cigarette smoking campaign. (PNA)
