About Philippines

Philippines is surrounded to its north across the Luzon straight by Taiwan, west across the South China Sea by Vietnam, southwest across the Sulu Sea by Borneo, and on the south by the Celebes Sea.
Capital City:
Manila
Government:
Unitary, Presidential, and Constitutional Republic
Land Area:
3,000,000 sq km
Population:
91,983,000

Countries

See Also

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Briefer on SEATCA's Smoke Free Inititiatives
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Philippines

Philippines and the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC):

Date of Ratification
06 June 2005
Entry Into Force
04 September 2005

Article 8 Timeline

04 September 2010

National Law

Republic Act 9211 “Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003”

(Approved on 23 June 2003)

Policies

National Government Agencies with 100% Smoke-free Policies

1. Bureau of Internal Revenue
2. Bureau of Jail Management and Penology
3. Civil Service Commission
4. Commission on Higher Education
5. Department of Education
6. Department of Health
7. Department of Interior and Local Government
8. Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board
9. Metro Manila Development Authority
10. Philippine National Police

Smoke-free or Not?

(Barriers in moving towards a 100% Smoke-free Environment based on the FCTC Article 8 Guidelines)

1. The Tobacco Regulation Act (RA 9211) was enacted in 2003 therfore some of its provisions are not compliant with FCTC as the Philippines became a Party to the FCTC in 2005 and the FCTC Article 8 Guidelines was only approved in 2007.

2. Allows designated smoking areas in restaurants and airports

(Non Compliant with the Article 8 Guidelines, Principle 1: Total elimination of smoking and tobacco smoke in a particular space or environment is required to effectively provide protection from exposure to tobacco smoke, as well as to create a 100% smoke-free environment. Principle 2: All people should be protected from exposure to tobacco smoke. All indoor workplaces and indoor public places should be smoke-free.)
1 FCTC Art. 8 Guidelines para. 24 provides that Parties have a continuous obligation to remove any exemptions as soon as possible, and each party should strive to provide universal protection within five years of the WHO Framework Convention’s entry into force for that Party.