Manila to enforce smoking ban

Authorities in the Philippine capital Manila have  announced a drive to strictly enforce a smoking ban in public places across the sprawling metropolis. The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority said that from today it would deploy policemen and specially trained enforcers across the city of 12 million to round up violators.
The Philippines has a law banning smoking in public places dating from 2003, but it has largely been ignored in a country where according to surveys 28% of Filipinos aged 15 years and over, or 17.3mn people, are smokers.
“We must be very strict in implementing our anti-smoking regulation,” agency chairman Francis Tolentino said in a statement. Those caught are to be fined 500 pesos ($11), which is more than the daily minimum wage in the impoverished country, and those who cannot pay the fine will be made to do community service. Health advocates have also repeatedly called on the chain-smoking President Benigno Aquino to lead the campaign and quit.