Survey data and enforcement training point to gaps in public spaces, including tourist areas, project partners say
LA UNION — A proposed Provincial Smoke-Free Ordinance passed first reading at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan as the Smoke-Free La Union project enters its third year, according to a report by the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) La Union.
As of August 18, Second District Board Member Ruperto Rillera Jr. said the Provincial Legal Office also gave the measure an affirmative review. Governor Mario Eduardo Ortega endorsed the proposed ordinance to the provincial board in May for legislative hearing and eventual passage.
The measure could provide a common policy framework for smoke-free efforts while complementing ordinances already in place in the province’s cities and municipalities, PIA reported.
Why it matters
La Union draws large numbers of visitors. The Provincial Tourism Office reported more than 539,000 visitors in 2024 and over ₱1 billion in tourism revenue, mostly from San Juan, San Fernando City and Bauang, according to a PIA report on the project.
Participants at a May MPOWER and tobacco-control enforcement training for local governments acknowledged that smoking and vaping remain prevalent in the province, including in tourist areas such as Urbiztondo, according to ImagineLaw, the legal group that helped run the training. They also cited limited resources for monitoring and enforcement.
What the survey found
The La Union Youth Tobacco Survey 2025, posted by PNBI, found that 11.4 percent of surveyed students were current tobacco users. PNBI’s summary, as reported by PIA, said it covered 2,000 high school students. The fact sheet also reports that 55.1 percent of respondents were exposed to tobacco smoke in outdoor public places and 45.1 percent in enclosed public places. About 40 percent said they had seen someone smoking at school.
The same survey found support for restrictions. About 75.5 percent of students favored prohibiting smoking inside enclosed public places, and 73.3 percent favored the same for outdoor public places.
What has been done
The Provincial Government of La Union, through its Provincial Health Office, leads the Smoke-Free La Union project in partnership with PNBI, with support from Vital Strategies. It began with a planning workshop in San Fernando City in October 2024.
By April 2025, ten local governments had received technical help in drafting or updating ordinances aligned with the World Health Organization’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control: San Fernando City, Agoo, Bacnotan, Caba, San Gabriel, Naguilian, Aringay, Luna, San Juan, and Bauang.
PNBI and the provincial government signed a memorandum of agreement in January 2026. Between June and August, enforcement workshops were held in Agoo, San Gabriel, Bauang, Caba, Aringay and Bacnotan.
San Fernando City’s earlier experience offers a model. When the city began enforcing its smoke-free ordinance, a city health official told the Manila Bulletin in 2016 that violators would be introduced to a cessation program and could be referred to a clinic at the Ilocos Training and Medical Center.
Officials’ and partners’ statements
PNBI Executive Director Oscar Picazo said continued collaboration would be “invaluable” in sustaining public awareness and strengthening tobacco-control efforts in the province, according to PIA.
Provincial Health Officer Dr. Herminigildo M. Velasco said the provincial government will keep supporting the initiative through policy recommendations and technical assistance, noting that Governor Ortega named health as a priority in his 2026 Statement of the Province Address.
What remains unsettled
Details of the proposed ordinance’s coverage and penalties were not available at the time of writing. It is also unclear how establishments, particularly small businesses, will be supported in complying. La Union also has a history as a tobacco-producing province, an issue that may come up as the measure moves through hearings.
What visitors and businesses can do
Where an area is marked smoke-free, visitors are expected not to smoke or vape there and to follow posted notices and local government policies. Establishments can help by posting clear signs and information on where smoking and vaping are allowed or prohibited under applicable local rules.
What’s next
In the project’s third year, partners will focus on advancing the proposed provincial ordinance and continuing to support cities and municipalities in strengthening their own policies and enforcement. They will also work on ways to sustain the gains beyond the current project cycle, according to PIA.
Sources: PNBI Philippines (pnbiph.org), including the La Union Youth Tobacco Survey 2025 fact sheet; PIA La Union; ImagineLaw; Manila Bulletin.
Ilocos News provides content assistance to PNBI Philippines, the implementer of the Smoke-Free La Union project.
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