MANKAYAN, Benguet – The municipal government is now partnering with various anti-smoking advocates outside the municipality to enhance and sustain the implementation of the town’s anti-smoking ordinance, especially with the ongoing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.
Mayor Frenzel A. Ayong stated that smoking affects the lungs of a person and with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic which targets the lungs; there will be a big possibility that more smokers will be exposed to the danger of easily contracting the virus that could compromise their health.
He said that the recent visit of anti-smoking advocates to the municipality was a big boost to the local government’s effort in improving the ongoing implementation of its anti-smoking ordinance to gradually achieve a smoke free community and allow the public free from the dangers of smoking.
The local chief executive claimed there are numerous health hazards of smoking which had been time and again underscored by health experts, that is why local governments were compelled by the national government to pass their respective anti-smoking ordinances to curb the proliferation of smoking in their areas of jurisdiction.
According to him, the partnership that will be established by the local government with anti-smoking advocates will definitely help in empowering the concerned government agencies and the local government in making sure that the pertinent provisions of the local anti-smoking ordinance will be cascaded to the barangays which will also play a key role in ensuring that residents will abide by the measure that is now in full force and effect.
Mayor Ayong expressed the local government’s gratitude to the willing partners who want to extend the appropriate technical assistance to contribute in efforts to enhance and sustain the ongoing implementation of local anti-smoking ordinances to curb the proliferation among citizens, especially those in the barangays who are not fully aware of the evident dangers of being exposed to smoking.
The mayor emphasized the need to include the information and education campaign (IEC) against smoking to the ongoing IEC on COVID-19 which is being undertaken by an organized IEC team to compliment the issues and concerns that should be cascaded on the ground for people to understand why concerned government agencies and the local government are doing its best to ensure their health and safety and for them to be spared from the dangers of smoking.
Earlier, the local government organized an IEC team which is now going around the barangays cascading the various programs, projects and activities being enforced by the municipal government to help contain the rapid spread of the deadly virus and avoid the unnecessary surges in cases that might compromise the local health care system and stress the frontliners.
He urged the residents to sustain their adherence to the minimum public health standards and avoid smoking so as not to make them prone to contracting illnesses that might compromise their existing health condition. By HENT
