Launching blue ribbon campaign and smoke-free merit badgeProvince of Albay, the PhilippinesA two-part meaningful ceremony was conducted 28 June 2012 in Legazpi City, the capital of Alay !ro"ince, spearheaded y the #mo$e-%ree Alay &etwor$ '#%A&( in collaoration with the )orld *ealth +rganization, -his ceremony mar$ed a new wa"e of the smo$e-free campaign in Alay,.ore than 200 guests attended the e"ent from the 18 cities and municipalities of Alay, which included City and .unicipal *ealth +/cers, .ayors, .emers of the Alay !ro"incial 0oard, 0oy #couts and 1irl #couts of the !hilippines '0#! and 1#!(, the media, usiness owners and the memers of the #%A&,A series of technical wor$ing group meetings were held to prepare for this grand e"ent, -he technical wor$ing group was composed of nine representati"es from #%A& memer agencies2 3epartment of *ealth '3+*(, !hilippine 4nformation Agency, 0#!, 1#!, !ro"incial *ealth +/ce, Alay !olice !ro"incial +/ce, 5A0AL45A- 'a group of radio communicators( and local ci"il society groups, !inoy !ower Coalition and A3367A&-A18 and chaired y the memer from the !ro"incial *ealth +/ce,0lue 9ion Campaign ad"ocacy materials such as polo shirts were produced prior to the e"ent, 3+* pro"ided ad"ocacy fans to manifest their support to the 0lue 9ion Campaign,-he ceremony was opened y #%A& Chair *erert 0or:a who proudly welcomed the guests and encouraged the L1; leaders to :oin #%A& in ad"ocating for smo$e-free Alay,Launching of the 0lue 9ion Campaign commenced with a "ideo presentation showing the campaign conducted in #ingapore, followed y the awarding ceremony, -he awardees include four local go"ernment units 'L1;s( of Alay !ro"ince, namely, Ligao City, -aaco City, .unicipality of 3araga and Legazpi City, who are smo$e-free indoor en"ironments, emphasizing the estalishments? concern in protecting their customers against second-hand smo$e,.ayor 1eraldine 9osal of Legazpi City which recei"ed 3+*?s 9ed +rchid Award in 2010 encouraged other L1;s to ma$e their cities and municipalities smo$e-free, 4n her message, she emphasized how hard it was the @rst time they implemented the smo$e-free ordinance of Legazpi in 200A, ut with the support of partners and the political will of then .ayor &oel 9osal, the implementation was sustained,%ollowing the 0lue 9ion awarding ceremony, another awarding ceremony for the #mo$e-%ree .erit 0adge was carried out, -he .erit 0adge is to recognize the choices of the youth toe smo$e-free and for completing certain tas$s and challenges gi"en to the scouts prior to the e"ent such as posting of no-smo$ing stic$ers to pulic utility "ehicles, collecting ashtrays and cigarette utts, con"incing smo$ers to Buit and ma$ing scrapoo$s on smo$ing, -he .erit 0adge was awarded to 10 scouts from 1#! and 0#!,4n &o"emer 2011, Alay adopted a local smo$e-free ordinance, 4n addition to the prohiition of smo$ing in pulic places, the ordinance also prohiits the purchase of toacco products to minors as well as sales to minors and restricts toacco ad"ertising, promotion and sponsorship acti"ities, -he new smo$e-free ordinance ga"e further momentum to the smo$e-free initiati"e of Alay,PHILIPPINE ! -he Alay pro"ince has o/cially set a an on the use of plastic ags, #tyrofoam and other synthetic materials after the implementation of !ro"incial +rdinance &o, 2011-C,-he launch of the +rdinance was held at the LCC .all Acti"ity Center and led y !ro"incial 1o"ernor, Joey #arte #alceda and 7ice 1o"ernor *arold 4mperial together with the memers of !ro"incial oard,-he ordinance will ta$e eDect this coming June after the pro"incial go"ernment lifts the one year moratorium pro"ided to commercial estalishments in all 1A towns and three cities of the pro"ince,;nder the !,+, &o, 2011-1C, all grocery owners, department stores, supermar$ets, chain retailers and mini stores can no longer use plastic, styrofoan and synthetic materials as pac$aging or ags,-hose found "iolating the ordinance will e meted !1,000 E !A,000 and ha"e their usiness permits cancelled,-he pro"incial go"ernment together with other enforcement agencies ha"e already met withthe owners of the aDected commercial estalishments to discuss the salient features of the said ordinance,!lastic ags usually @nds its way into waterways, ri"ers, canals, eaches, streets and par$s as a litter, and when urned these emit toFic fumes into the air, !lastic materials are non-iodegradale and will ta$e aout G00 years efore they start to decompose,-he ordinance aims to decrease the "olume of plastic pollutants and strengthen its en"ironmental protection measures in the interest of pulic health and safety,