Baguio City wins gold at 2026 ASEAN Smoke-free Awards

Baguio City has been named the Gold Award winner in the second ASEAN Smoke-free Awards (ASA), recognizing its sub-national smoke-free policies aimed at protecting public health.

The award was presented on Thursday, September 10, during the opening ceremony of the ASEAN Health Ministers Meeting in Melaka, Malaysia, hosted and chaired by Malaysia’s Ministry of Health.

The ASA is 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.

The awards recognize sub-national governments for smoke-free policy achievements aligned with the ASEAN Post-2015 Health Development Agenda and the 2017 ASEAN Declaration on Culture of Prevention.

Baguio was selected for the Gold Award following a screening process, according to the organizers.

George Town in Penang, Malaysia received the Silver Award, while five local governments from Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Thailand received Bronze Awards.

The other Bronze awardees were Depok City, Indonesia; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Thanbyuzayat Township in Mon State, Myanmar; Pasig City, Philippines; and Maha Sarakham, Thailand.

Singapore received a Special Recognition on Smoke-free Enforcement for its consistent smoke-free enforcement.

‘Strict and firmly enforced’ policies

SEATCA Executive Director Dr. Ulysses Dorotheo said this year’s awardees showed that strong smoke-free policies can be implemented at the local level.

“This year’s awardees demonstrate that strict and firmly enforced smoke-free policies are achievable and necessary if millions of lives are to be saved from the deadly tobacco epidemic.”

Dorotheo said SEATCA would continue working with the winning cities and governments to build on their existing achievements.

He also said the initiatives could serve as examples for other governments in Southeast Asia.

“Local governments are demonstrating that smoke-free environments can and must become the standard all over the region by firmly resisting challenges from the tobacco industry and by placing public health first.”

Lao PDR leads regional initiative

The Ministry of Health of Lao PDR said the second edition of the awards reflected a shared ASEAN commitment to translating regional health commitments into local policies.

“This second edition shows our common regional commitment to turning the high-level commitments of ASEAN into real protections for our people. Lao PDR will continue to work together with all the Member States to promote healthier and smoke-free communities.”

The ASEAN Smoke-free Awards build on the “Towards a Smoke-free ASEAN” campaign launched in March 2012 at the World Conference on Tobacco or Health in Singapore.

The initiative was first endorsed at the fourth ASEAN Health Cluster 1 meeting in Vientiane and recognizes sub-national administrative bodies that implement local smoke-free policies.

Philippines’ smoke-free awardees

Baguio’s Gold win marks the second time a Philippine city has received the top award since the ASA was launched.

At the inaugural ASA ceremony in Vientiane, Lao PDR, on August 8, 2024, Iloilo City received the first-ever Gold Award after obtaining the highest evaluation score.

Bogor City in Indonesia received Silver, while Saensuk Municipality in Thailand and Bagan in Myanmar received Bronze Awards.

This year, the Philippines had two awardees: Baguio City, which received Gold, and Pasig City, which received Bronze.

The awards specifically recognize sub-national smoke-free policy achievements rather than national tobacco-control performance.

The organizers said the initiative aims to encourage local governments across ASEAN to establish and enforce smoke-free environments as part of broader efforts to protect communities from the health effects of tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke. — BM, GMA News