Photo by Hamdan Badrudin
COTABATO CITY—Eleven (11) government offices and hospitals which implement a tobacco-free environment in the Bangsamoro region were recognized on Thursday, Feb.2, by the Ministry of Health (MOH) through its Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD) Clusters.
The Department of Health (DOH) named its anti-smoking advocacy award as “Red Orchid Award” to symbolize the fight against the ill effects of tobacco and to recognize the efforts of the Local Government Units (LGUs) and different government agencies that promote 100% smoke-free environment.
MOH NCD Cluster head Dr. Ahsan Paudac said that the Red Orchid Award is one of the strategies to achieve a smoke-free environment among different administrative levels in the region.
“I would like to congratulate the awardees and thank you for your commitment to providing and maintaining a healthy environment [for the Bangsamoro],” Paudac said.
The Red Orchid awardees accepted certificates of recognition, trophies, and cash incentives.
Hall of Fame awardees for 2022 received Php50,000.00 each, while first-time awardees for 2021 received Php25,000.00 each.
The winners were judged based on strength of comprehensive efforts to implement a 100% smoke-free environment using the World Health Organization’s (WHO) MPOWER initiative.
Among the awardees included: Datu Odin Sinsuat District Hospital in Maguindanao del Norte and the 12th Forward Service Support Unit ASCOM, Philippines Army for Red Orchid First Timer Award (2021).
The other nine (9) awardees, which received the Red Orchid Award Hall of Fame 2022,
included the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology-BARMM Regional Office, Cotabato City Jail, Upi Municipal Jail, and Parang District Jail both in Maguindanao del Norte, Wao Municipal Jail and Malabang District Jail in Lanao del Sur, Lamitan City Jail in Basilan, Jolo District Jail in Sulu, and Bongao District Jail in Tawi-Tawi province. (Myrna Tepadan/BIO)
