For the first time, a gathering of ex-smokers was held in Legazpi City  to celebrate June's  “NO SMOKING MONTH" last June 25 2009 at the Memento Hall of Casablanca Hotel. More than one hundred participants representing public and private offices and organizations came to the invitation of Department of Health-Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD (BICOL) and Legazpi’s Smoke-free Committee with a powerful theme “The Power of the Will.”

The objective is to reinforce the decision made by ex-smokers and to create a smoke-free support group in every family, workplace and community.

Dr. Maria Encarnita Blanco-Limpin, executive director of Framework Convention on Tobacco Contol Alliance-Philippines (FCAP) travelled all the way from Metro Manila despite the heavy rains brought by typhoon Fedria. She discussed smoke-free initiatives globally and locally versus tobaccon industry interference. But there are a lot of wonderful rewards for a quitter of smoking said Dr. Virgilio Ludovice, Assistant Regional Director of DOH in his presentation. When Mr. Greg Reverente, a broadcaster famous for his radio name “Birador” shared his struggles, agonies, challenge and success when he decided to quit, he said he never regreted quitting because it saved his life, his family, his finances and even his future, the rest of the participants fully understand that afterall, a quitter is really a winner!

Mr. Alex T. Luces, a representative from Population Commission Regional Office 5 who finds a hard time quitting found instant belongingness when fellow participants took turns to counsel and advise him what and how to do the quitting.  So far, cold turkey style – when a smoker abrubtly quits smoking– is the best way that works unlike consumption reduction or some other way. Willpower combined with God's power prove success. Health teams from Albay Provincial Health Office carefully monitored the blood pressure, checked blood sugar levels while "Celebrations" gallery and health age appraisal from team Seventh-Day Adventists with support from DENR-Environmental Management Bureau and the office of the Legazpi City environment and natural resources expanded the environmental aspect. “CELEBRATIONS” is healthy lifestyle acronym for Choice, Exercise, Liquids, Environment, Belief, Rest, Air, Temperance, Integrity, Optimism and Social Support.

Cheerful faces welcome the participants to the whole-day congress. Health Age appraisal team assess the lifestyle practices and usher them to the “CELEBRATIONS” gallery and risk management screening prepared by Albay Provincial Health Office and Seventh-day Adventist Church Health Ministries. Below, the exhibit on environment management produced by DENR-EMB and Office of the Environment and Natural Resources-Legazpi City. Participants of the Congress internalize the theme: “THE POWER OF THE WILL”.

But indeed, willpower is real power because Mayor Noel Rosal of Legazpi City scores another first among local government units in the whole Philippines when he launched www.smokefreelegazpi.com website. A team of Information Technology experts composed by Mr. Roland Bongais, Jonathan Sadueste Ng, John Joseph Mendizabal and Maria victoria Ogo from AMA Computer College-Legazpi Campus prepared the portal and domain of the website. Legazpi City is the only local government jurisdiction in the country with a website of the anti-smoking campaign confirms Dr. Limpin who witness the launching.

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Mayor Rosal issued Executive Order No. 14 Series of 2009 to all public and private offices, businesses, organizations and internet cafés in Legazpi City to make www.smokefreelegazpi.com website a default homepage, screensaver and wallpaper of their computer monitors to create awareness of the campaign.

Legazpi City Mayor Noel Rosal proudly accepts the presentation of www.smokefreelegazpi.com website and presents it to the public. Team AMA who is behind the making of the website looks on.

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 The website contains history of smoke-free campaign in Legazpi City, photo gallery, videos, articles and events undertaken by the smoke-free committee and its members regarding enforcement, trainings, advocacy and even chatroom for supporters and visitors to give comments or report violation of smoke-free laws. Campaign materials such as smoke-free ordinance, primer and brochures, signage, wallpapers, etc. are downloadable. The smoke-free committee and team AMA projected at least a thousand website visitors a month. But as presstime, in just more than a week cyberexistence of the website after its launching, it has close to 700 visitors already.