CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The Department of Health-Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD) in Central Luzon said yesterday it is now accepting nominations for the 2012 Red Orchid Awards.
DOH-CHD information officer Sherill Aure said “the Red Orchid aims to give due recognition to government offices, government hospitals and local government units (LGUs ) with commendable practices and measures against smoking.”
Aure said the “nominees will be judged based on the strength of their comprehensive efforts to implement a 100 percent tobacco-free environment following the World Health Organization’s MPOWER initiative.”
MPOWER is an acronym referring to the six anti-smoking objectives including monitoring tobacco use and prevention, protecting people from tobacco smoke, offering help to those who want to stop smoking, warning on the dangers of smoking, enforcing laws against tobacco advertizing, and raising taxes on tobacco.
Aure said those who would obtain the highest rating of at least 85 percent would be bestowed with Red Orchid Award.
Aside from the trophy, winners would be given a certificate of recognition and P100 ,000 worth of nicotine replacement therapy patches and medicines to help smokers quit.
She also said that the Pink Orchid Award would be given to the first runner up and the White Orchid Award to the second runner up.
Aure advised those interested to make nominations to download an assessment form from the website www.doh.gov.ph and submit it to the DOH- CHD regional office here in the soonest possible time.
The latest Red Orchid awardee was Balanga City in Bataan. Other previous awardees were the cities of Maasin, Davao, Roxas and Legaspi.
