Baguio wins Bloomberg award for tobacco control efforts

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The World Health Organization calls for stronger action on tobacco taxation, cessation, and e-cigarette regulation

BAGUIO, Philippines – Baguio City has been named one of six recipients of the 2025 Bloomberg Philanthropies Award for Global Tobacco Control, recognized for its efforts in monitoring tobacco use through local surveys and partnerships with medical institutions.

The award was given on Monday, June 23 during the World Conference on Tobacco Control in Dublin, Ireland. 

Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong accepted the award, citing Baguio’s commitment to community-based surveillance and clean air initiatives.

Baguio was recognized under the “M” category of the World Health Organization’s MPOWER strategy, which promotes six measures to reduce tobacco use. The city was lauded for its implementation of the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) and Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), which have helped shape local policies.

The MPOWER strategy, six measures set by the WHO, guides governments in enforcing policies to cut tobacco use. It stands for:

• Monitor tobacco use
• Protect people from tobacco smoke
• Offer help to quit
• Warn about the dangers of tobacco
• Enforce bans on advertising
• Raise taxes on tobacco
  

Baguio’s Smoke-Free Ordinance, enacted in 2017, is strictly being enforced by a city task force in Baguio. The city previously received similar recognition in 2018.

Other awardees include Ukraine for protecting citizens through smoke-free policies, India for expanding cessation services, Mauritius for adopting plain tobacco packaging, Mexico for enforcing a full advertising ban, and Montenegro for increasing tobacco taxes.

“These awardees have not only implemented proven tobacco control measures; they’ve also done so under complex circumstances including conflict and industry interference,” read part of a statement by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

To support further action, WHO Global Ambassador Michael Bloomberg announced a US$20-million fund to help low- and middle-income countries boost tobacco control programs.

A new WHO report shows that 6.1 billion people are now protected by at least one MPOWER measure, though 40 countries still fall short of best-practice standards. WHO urged stronger action on tobacco taxation, cessation, and e-cigarette regulation. – Rappler.com