Like so many countries, the Philippines also has a NON-SMOKING policy. In public places (restaurants, shopping malls etc.) it is not allowed to smoke.
Large warnings on every pack of smokes, that you will get cancer, or it affects the fertility and so on, are to discourage people to smoke. On the other hand they allow children to smoke (maybe not officially, but still…) and to sell cigarettes in the streets.
As you know my wife and I frequently visit the public market in Marikina City. It was there where I spotted a new sign against smoking.
The sign was pasted against a post. Later I have seen several more of them on different spots in the market streets.
After a few minutes looking around, as I usually do, I spotted a car coming. Immediately I took my camera and made a picture of it.
Funny is that on the front there is an add from Marlboro but on the door a warning from the government written. When the car was gone in the usual cloud of smoke (it drove too fast to take one more shot) I had my own thoughts……about smoking and smoke in general.
Filipino time:
One of the incongruities about the Philippines … a country where the public education system is stuggling at best. A pack of cigarettes costs about 30 or 40 pesos. A liter of local rum or gin costs about 85 pesos. A birth certificate for a child (without which s/he will _not_ be admitted to school) costs 600 pesos or more (could be a lot more if the family has to travel back to their ancestral province to get one from hospital ot church records).
I could be wrong here, but I think someone’s priorities are a bit skewed.
Dave,
You’re so right.
This all happens in a country with a government with actors and where politicians make the show…..
Hello,I love reading through your blog, I wanted to leave a little comment to support you and wish you a good continuation. Wishing you the best of luck for all your blogging efforts.
Hi Jan,
I am making a presentation about smoking in the Philippines. I would like to include some pictures. I wanted to know if I could use your photo of the two girls selling cigarettes. I am very conscious of copyright and permissions issues, so I would say that I would also need the permission of the girls in the photo to use their picture.
It would be great if you could contact me to let me know if this is OK or to discuss it.
Thank you!
Hi Diliana,
Thanks for visiting my website.
You are allowed to use any of my pictures as long as you mention the source. Please refer to my website in every picture you use.
It will be hard to find the two girls on the picture, so asking them for permission will be difficult. They have posed for my camera so I assume there’s no problem.
Let me know when the article is available to read, and the address. I would like to read your story.