Headlines: Smoking ban in Metro Manila Public Places Implemented Today

The MMDA announced that violators will be fined P500 on first offense, while those who cannot afford to pay the fine are obliged to render an eight-hour community service.  The anti-tobacco use program is funded by a  New York-based Bloomberg Philantrophies with a P9.5-million grant.
 
Last June, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) already required the MMDA to prohibit smoking in its offices. 

According to yahoo news "The Philippines has a law banning smoking in public places dating from 2003, but it has largely been ignored in a country where according to surveys 28 percent of Filipinos aged 15 years and over, or 17.3 million people, are smokers."


I'm in full support of this program.  I too hated to inhale the cigarette smokes flying towards me from smokers in the front seat of the jeepneys or the pedestrian in front of me in the sidewalks or while walking below the buildings of Makati where groups of smokers gather.  But I do hope this will be imposed fairly to all.

I'm really excited to see how this will be implemented.  Maybe smokers should start smoking E-cigarettes now like Johnny Depp in the movie tourist eh?  Just curious by public places, what exactly does it cover?