Rizal Park a no-smoking zone by May 31

MANILA, Philippines - Smoking and littering will be strictly prohibited in Rizal Park by the end of the month, the government declared yesterday.

Juliet Villegas, National Park Development Committee (NPDC) executive director, said they will deploy enforcers to implement the new policy while park photographers, in-house park security guards, and non-uniformed student volunteers will look out for violators and report them to park enforcers.

“The campaign aims to ban smoking and littering in the country’s prime recreation areas such as Rizal and Paco Park,” as part of the newly launched “Rizal Park Goes Green” project, she said.

Villegas said the NPDC will work with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, the Manila City government and private firms to implement the ban.

“With the project, park goers will be encouraged to keep the 54-hectare Luneta Park clean and smoke-free,” she said.   

Villegas said a team of enforcers will conduct an information drive for two weeks before fully implementing the ban on May 31 to coincide with “World No Tobacco Day.”

For the first offense, violators will either be fined P500 to P1,000 or do eight hours of community service; for the second offense, a fine of P1,000 to P5,000 or 16 hours of community service; and for the third offense, a fine of P5,000 to P10,000.