Cebu City businesses seek exemption from smoking ban measure

Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak answer question from the media regarding the CCTV requirments on the business establishment.(CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)

SOME business establishments in Cebu City are asking for an exemption in the anti-smoking ordinance as the city government has started strictly implementing the measure amid the start of the implementation of the nationwide smoking ban which started last July 23.

Councilor David Tumulak said that there are business owners who sought for an exemption to the smoking ban because it has affected their sales.
Tumulak said that with these requests from business owners the city government is considering amending the ordinance to allow exemptions similar to Mandaue City’s smoking ordinance which exempts entertainment districts.

He said that they feared that these business establishments might transfer to Mandaue City if they would not amend the ordinance.

He said that a coffee shop in the city was among those who sent a request for an exemption and recommended that they instead set up an enclosed area inside the establishment for smokers.

The city government is planning to gather data and look into conducting a public hearing to hear the sides of the smokers, non-smokers, and business sector.

He said that they are suggesting to amend the ordinance which might include a smoking area which is an open space at least 10 meters from an establishment.

For now, Tumulak said that they had intensified their implementation of the ban and arrested 450 persons since January of this year.