President Rodrigo Duterte is set to sign an executive order (EO) Tuesday that will prohibit smoking in all public places nationwide, Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol said.
In a text message, Piñol said the President will use the draft prepared by the Department of Health.
Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial in January said Duterte had asked her to draft the EO similar to what the city had been implementing on "100% smoke-free environment in public places."
"The executive order will actually mandate all the agencies of government, including the local government to implement this 100% smoking ban in all public places. It's not just Metro Manila," Ubial said.
“There will be no smoking in public places anymore, whether indoor or outdoor. Parks, bus stations, and even in vehicles. All these are considered public places,” Ubial was quoted as saying.
"It's an order to the executive branch. It's up to the local government units also to draft their, shall we call, ordinances to implement this executive order. It's different from a law," she added.
The EO, Ubial explained, is a signal to the members of the branch to implement systems and information drives to work together to prevent children, the poor and the public from smoking in public places.
Source: ABS-CBN
Images: DZAR | Nikkei Asian Review
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