Dipolog bags 2014 Red Orchid awards

By Mary May A. Abellon

DIPOLOG CITY, Feb. 24 (PIA) The city government here has received on
Friday, Feb. 20, P500 thousand from the Department of Health (DOH) at
SMX Convention Center, Pasay City for winning the 2014 Red Orchid Award.
Assistant City Information Officer Leonor R. Rabino told the Philippine
Information Agency (PIA) that aside from the cash prize, the city also
received a trophy, tarpaulin and posters declaring the city a hall of famer
after successively winning the said search since 2011 until 2014. The city
won the Pink Orchid award in 2010.
This cash prize will be used for our anti-smoking advocacy campaign,
trainings and the formulation of our database of smokers, Rabino said.
The Red Orchid award is designed to recognize tobacco-free provinces,
municipalities, cities, government offices, government hospitals and health
centers to prevent smoking-related illnesses in pursuance of Republic Act
9211, otherwise known as the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003.
It can be recalled that the countrys anti-smoking campaign follows the
World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco
Control, which recommends certain measures against exposure to smoke in
indoor workplaces, public transport, indoor places, and other public places.
WHO used the red orchid in its 2001 World No Tobacco Day advocacy as a
symbol of tobacco-free world.
Aside from Dipolog, there were other 15 local government units adjudged
hall of famer in the 2014 Red Orchid awards.
Meanwhile, special awards were also given under the national search for
barangays with Best Sanitation Practices awards, Disease-Free Zone Awards,
National Sandugo Awards and Good Practice Awards.
DOH is enjoining other local government officials to make health a priority in
their respective areas to make their constituents healthy, productive
members of the country. (FPG/MAA/PIA-Zamboanga del Norte)