An anti-tobacco campaigner on Sunday lauded the Department of Education for issuing guidelines banning schools from accepting donations from tobacco industry players or from having partnerships with them.
Debby Sy, anti-tobacco campaigner and member of the Coalition for Health Advocacy-Transparency, openly praised DepEd for issuing Department Order No. 6 series of 2012.
The DepEd DO No. 6, or "Guidelines on the Adoption and Implementation of the Public Health Policies on Tobacco Control and on Protection Against Tobacco Industry Interference," was issued based on the joint memorandum by the Civil Service Commission and Department of Health (CSC-DOH).
The joint CSC-DOH memorandum bans the interaction between public schools and the tobacco industry, including accepting donations.
"I hope we can start by congratulating DepEd for choosing health over tobacco funds. And may be, we can also commit to help encourage non-tobacco private-sector donations to public schools that are in need of support," she said.
According to Sy, banning acceptance of donations from the tobacco industry entails "some level of sacrifice" by the public school sector, particularly in rural areas.
But she said "through DO 6, DepEd has proven that the school children's health and morals are more important... in efforts at protecting children from tobacco industry deception."
"Let's support the DepEd in their endeavor to give priority to public health and morals," she added.
DepEd hopes to continue its campaign against smoking due to tobacco's bad effects on health, especially of the students.
With the DO No.6, protection of the students will be ensured against the commercial interest of the tobacco industry, it said.
According to DepEd, copies of the new order have been distributed to school officials for proper implementation.
Moreover, it said school officials are encouraged to report any violation of the guidelines, adding that "those who defy the order will face appropriate charges."
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