Baguio wins gold in Asean Smoke-Free Awards

BAGUIO CITY — This city has been named the Gold Award recipient in the second Asean Smoke-Free Awards, recognizing its efforts to implement and enforce smoke-free policies to protect residents and visitors from tobacco smoke.

The award was presented on Sept. 10 during the opening ceremony of the Asean Health Ministers Meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The awards are led by the government of Lao PDR under Asean Health Cluster 1, in cooperation with the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (Seatca) and the Asean Secretariat.

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Seatca said Baguio received the Gold Award following a rigorous screening process. The awards recognize sub-national governments for achievements in developing and implementing smoke-free policies and are aligned with the Asean Post-2015 Health Development Agenda and the 2017 Asean Declaration on Culture of Prevention.

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George Town in Penang, Malaysia received the Silver Award, while five local governments from Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Thailand received Bronze awards. Singapore was given a special recognition for its consistent and outstanding smoke-free enforcement.

Seaca Executive Director Dr. Ulysses Dorotheo said the awardees demonstrated that strict and firmly enforced smoke-free policies can be implemented at the local level. He said local governments could serve as examples for other governments in Southeast Asia by placing public health first and resisting challenges from the tobacco industry.

The recognition marks the second time a Philippine city has received the top Asean Smoke-Free Award. Iloilo City won the inaugural Gold Award in 2024 after obtaining the highest evaluation score. This year, Baguio was the Philippine Gold awardee, while Pasig City received a Bronze Award.—Maureen Matayew/ contributor /mr