What do you think of the smoking ban in public places in Metro Manila?

Chris Papas Sayson, Manila: I’m a smoker, but I agree with that resolution. Thanks to the author.

Ron Paolo Valenzuela, Manila: Well, I still see a lot of peeps smoking in the streets. Parang wala lang.

Love it!

Carmela Ramento, Cagayan de Oro City: I just love the idea. Now I can look forward to smoke-free public places in Metro Manila.

Dennis Montealto, Mandaluyong City: It’s a step in the right direction.

Ryan Pahimulin, Rizal: Let’s try it.

Louella Brown, Baguio City: The smoking ban in public places in Metro Manila is a great idea. Let the people of the metropolis breathe cleaner air.

Deriuz Manabat, Metro Manila: Tama lang.

Bec Garcia, Manila: Agree, that’s good.

Smoking is hazardous to health

Rex Earlou Calmerin, Iligan City: I am not against the ban because it is clear that smoking is dangerous to one’s health.

Lucas Banzon Madamba, Laguna:  Smoking can be detrimental to one’s health because it may cause a host of diseases such as lung cancer, laryngeal cancer, stroke, vascular stenosis, heart attacks, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, etc. Thus, the smoking ban is just right and appropriate but the questions are: Will the law enforcers really implement it? Will the public really follow the ban? The smoking ban will be useless if law enforcers do not implement it and if the public, in turn, does not comply.

Good news for non-smokers

Dr. Mel Jaingue, Quezon City: The smoking ban in public places in Metro Manila should have been enforced a long time ago. The police, the MMDA, and other government and private agencies should implement the ban without letup. Pity passive non-smokers who are also affected by the deleterious effects of smoking, and spare them, especially the children, from lung and heart disease, or worse, cancers.

Rene Fuentes, Quezon City: Excellent move, and I hope other cities, especially Quezon City, will follow suit. It’s high time smokers gave us non-smokers a break.

Deo Durante, Camarines Sur: It’s good. Public interest comes first, since there are a lot more non-smokers than there are smokers. The ban to light a cigarette in public places protects the right of every non-smoker in this country.

Needs strict implementation

Ma. Ana Tango, Metro Manila: Dapat strict implementation. I still see jeepney drivers lighting their smoke, kahit matagal na ang ruling na dapat 100-per cent smoke-free PUJs.

Ishmael Calata, Parañaque City: This smoking ban in public places is a worthy project, and it should be given the teeth it needs in implementation. The question is, who is tasked to implement this ban? Magagaling lang tayo sa umpisa and, in no time at all, it will be a forgotten thing. There have been so many projects to instill discipline and, alas, so many laws and rules that need proper implementation, but alas, the supposed enforcers are the violators themselves. Take, for example, the rule on wearing helmets among motorcycle riders. Some enforcers go around looking for violators without wearing their own helmets! And so, for the sake of the nation’s health, this smoking ban in public places in Metro Manila should be implemented strictly and properly, and I suggest that this ban be adopted nationwide.

Dante Aquino, Isabela: Other LGUs should follow. Smoking in public places was banned nationwide long ago, because of the Clean Air Act (RA 9003). We are good at making nice laws, but we fail at implementing them.

Nothing new

Mayihoy Togonon, Quezon City: It is long overdue. What has taken them so long to do such, or should I say, what has been hindering them from taking precautionary measures when they know for a fact that such law exists?

Manny Cordeta, Marikina City:  The ban, being effective on the first day of July, is much appreciated. But if memory serves me right, it’s been there all these years, so there’s nothing new. It’s a “broken record” as it seems. Hope I’m wrong, but MMDA think tanks must be running out of new ideas that would induce each Metro Manilan’s excitability and participation. For it to be rekindled or sustained, parameters must be defined, primarily to avoid rallies and caucuses. Be that as it may, akin to my view on adding more teeth to transport speed limitations, let’s finally get rid of our systemic, pathological ningas cogon mentality. For the nth time, it’s political will that should spell the difference between success and failure.

Long overdue

Felix Ramento, USA: It’s long overdue, as smoking has been proven to be a health hazard. It’s high time to make the habit a private practice to save others from the harmful effects of smoking.

Never too late

Mike Herrera, Cabanatuan City: It’s never too late to implement this smoking ban, so everybody’s health will not be at risk.

Ningas cogon

C.B. Manalastas, Manila: The smoking ban is good for the environment and healthful to us non-smokers, however, its initial implementation shows that this is a bait for corruption for some lawless law enforcers, like what happened around Rajah Sulayman in Malate, a tourist place, where a Korean tourist was supposedly “caught in the act of lighting a cigarette”, lured by a cochero and maybe many more unreported victims. Also, a Malacañang bright guy mentioned in the news that, to quote, “Malacañang is not a public place, hence not covered by the Metro Manila smoking ban”. Sanamagan! Tama po ba ito, dahil lamang sa ang mga nakatira doon ay mga chain smokers? So, as the saying goes, sa umpisa lang ‘yan, katulad ng seatbelt law, anti-smoke belching, jaywalking, etc., na magagandang batas, ngunit ningas cogon lahat ang kahinatnan pagdating sa implementasyon at pagpapatupad. And why in Metro Manila only and not include the whole country?

Ruel Bautista, Laguna: It will merely be a ningas cogon resolution.

Edgardo Agutaya Adocal, Metro Manila: An excellent idea, but would likely be derailed. Why? 1. We have a chain-smoking President; 2. We are poor at implementation, ningas cogon. Wanna bet?

Gerii Calupitan, Muntinlupa City: Very timely, but it’s about 20 years late. So many have died from smoking and those who inhale secondhand smoke. My only fear is: Baka ningas cogon (usok) lang yan?

Rose Leobrera, Manila: That’s already an old story. It’s been prohibited for a long time, but everybody just ignored the ordinance. Ngayon, ningas cogon lang ’yan.

Josephine Buenafe, Metro Manila: It is a good city ordinance, but how long will it last? Will it be like former MMDA chairman Bayani Fernando’s effort that saw sidewalks vendors proliferating again after his term?

Cris Rivera, Rizal: Sana hindi ngayon lang sila masigasig, sana hanggang bukas. Sana hindi ito pakitang-tao lang ng pamahalaang lunsod ng Maynila.

Renato Ouico, Metro Manila: Ningas cogon din yan. Matagal na yang batas na ‘yan, e wala namang hinuhuli. Kung seryoso talaga ang ating pamahalaan na matigil na ang paninigarilyo ng mga tao, tanggalin ninyo ang filter at ipagbawal na ang sigarilyong may filter sa pagpasok sa ating bansa, para yung mga adik talaga ay tepok agad.

Doomed to fail

Noel Navales, Metro Manila: Filipinos have a selectively short attention span. Soon, denial will favor nicotine addiction and this smoking ban is doomed to fail.

Dr. Francis Regalado, Manila: It’s one of those policies that end up as ‘now you see it, now you don’t’. I swear to my soul it will never be implemented even after a week or so. It’s pathetic when the enforcers say that it’s up to the people to follow without being told. My goodness, you go anywhere in the world, the enforcers do their job of implementing the law. Unlike here, the enforcers are busy corrupting. Seatbelt law? Number coding? Anti-littering, and most of all, “walang kurap, walang mahirap!” Where are these, where oh where?

Johann Lucas, Quezon City: It depends on the people if this will be successful or not. The problem is, Pinoys and Pinays are not akin to following rules. Halos lahat pasaway.

No exceptions

Dr. Manolo Cristi, Quezon City: To enforce the no smoking law, public officials should be made to understand that they are not exempted from the ban.

Pedro Alagano Sr., Vigan City: Good if implemented to the letter. But it will be bad if there are personalities exempted from the ban.

P-Noy as poster boy

Joh Glimmermann, Manila: Noynoy should set an example.

Rodolfo Talledo, Angeles City: Smoking advocates should make P-Noy their poster boy, to give more impact and credence to their campaign.

Smoking rooms

J.R. Mondonedo Jr., Parañaque City: I think it’s a good idea, but knowing Pinoys, they would still do it if they can get away with it. A smoking area ought to be provided, like a closed-in room in areas where there are many people, where people can go in there and take a few puffs and get out. It will be like a public CR. That way, these people who cannot control their smoking habits can choke themselves to death inside while smoking. This smoking ban will eventually die a natural death because, knowing Pinoys, we are only good at starting something but never really at implementing.

There are other ways

Jose Fabello Jr., Cagayan de Oro City: Might as well ban the selling of cigarettes and tobacco in public places. That way, you hit the smoker and the seller in one swoop.

Robert Young Jr., San Juan: Smoking ban will just give cops more opportunities for bribery and the campaign won’t last for long. The best option is still to increase cigarette taxes to discourage smoking, and at the same time, increase revenues.

Hidden agenda

Joe Nacilla, Las Piñas City: I am not a smoker, but I do not like the MMDA smoking ban campaign. It is more of a “sipsip” agenda. First, MMDA is barking up the wrong tree. Second, Expanding the non-smoking area enumerated under Sec. #5 of RA # 9211 is overacting, if not downright sipsip. If smoking really kills people, why does the government keep sucking the lifeblood of the tobacco industry instead of closing it down outright? Is it because of greed that they don’t care about destroying the lives, hopes and future of million Filipinos, provided it is softly and slowly, just to earn more?

Make it nationwide

Juan Deveraturda, Subic, Zambales: Definitely, the plan is commendable. I hope those who will be tasked to implement it will implement it effectively. And why do it in Metro Manila only? It should be done in the whole country, especially in airports, hotels and restaurants, movie houses, shopping malls, and other public places. It’s about time this is done, from Batanes to Jolo.

Nescel Panes, Passi City, Iloilo: I pity those people who smoke, for they will suffer the consequences in the end. Smoking harms our body. I pity more those people who catch cigarette smoke in the air we breathe. I support the campaign for smoking ban in public places in all parts of the country, not in Manila alone.

William Gonzaga, Marikina City: It’s a good start, considering the ill effects smoking has caused on the health not only of smokers but also non-smokers. Nevertheless, it would be better if the smoking ban includes the rest of the country. It’s indeed very alarming to see young smokers, male and female, doing their thing everywhere in public. As lung and throat cancer are said to be traced to smoking, the more the government and the private sector should cooperate in eliminating smoking in our midst.

Alexander Raquepo, Ilocos Sur: Why Metro Manila only? Smoking should be banned in all public places in the Philippines.

Miguelito Herrera, Cabanatuan City: It’s long overdue. Metro Manila ranks high in the pollution index. I hope the ban on smoking will also be implemented nationwide.

Dr. Jose Balcanao, Benguet: It is an effective lung health promotion program of the government that must be legislated nationwide. Smoking does not benefit the smoker, since it burns the smoker’s money and shortens his life.

Lydia Reyes, Bataan: Nice move. But why in Metro Manila only? Why not the entire Philippines? I hate the smell that cigarette brings.

Antonio Bello, Manila: I used to be a chain smoker and I used to finish three packs of cigarettes a day. I kicked the habit after an advice by my doctor when I developed dull pains in my throat and I experienced a sudden change of voice in the middle of my talks during programs. I learned later that cigarette smoke is even more detrimental to passive smokers, that is, those non-smokers who inhale cigarette smoke from smokers. And so, I am happy that this ban on public smoking is now in place in most Metro Manila cities, and I hope such a ban will also be implemented in the whole country. Let this not be another ningas cogon and let this not be another rule that enforcers will abuse as another kotong opportunity for them.

Ex-smokers are taking the lead

Tony Gomez, Parañaque City: In reality, it’s the ex-smokers who are the most aggressive in the smoking ban movement. This is what I notice and this is good.

You see it worldwide

Ignacio Anacta, Metro Manila: Passive smoke is as bad as smoking itself, so I think it makes sense banning smoking in public places, and it’s being implemented in many places around the world.

MMDA ought to deal with traffic!

Armando Tavera, Las Piñas City: Batas trapiko ang dapat asikasuhin ng MMDA, hindi ang smoking. Nagkaletse-letse na ang traffic dahil iba naman ang kanilang pinakialaman.

Sen Alcantara III, Metro Manila: I agree, pero isabay na din ang mga smoke-belching vehicles.

Views expressed in this section do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of The STAR. The STAR does not knowingly publish false information and may not be held liable for the views of readers exercising their right to free expression. The publication also reserves the right to edit contributions to this section as it sees fit.

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