Latest ‘Smoke Free Albay’ merit badge, backed by Girl Scouts, DepEd

by Aida Alcazar-Naz

LEGAZPI CITY, November 16 (PIA) -- The introduction of a new merit badge for Girl Scouts of the Philippines (GSP) was received agreeably by the Albay Council and the leadership of Department of Education (DepEd).

The Albay GSP Council, through its Executive Director Ma. Amy Oyardo, gave the green light for the Smoke Free Albay Network (SFAN) to launch said merit badge while DEpEd Albay Division superintendent Marilet Almayda endorsed the earning of the anti-smoking emblem.

The introduction of the merit badge, which took on the official name as Smoke-Free Albay Merit Badge, was one of the highlights of the weeklong GSP Albay Provincial Encampment held at Kawa Kawa, Legazpi City last October 24-29, 2011.

Said launching’s focal point was a symposium on smoke-free kids and the SFAN challenge.

The symposium which was held at the grand arena of the encampment was attended by some 1,200 participants and their adult leaders. Talks on ill-effects of smoking with Dr. Wins Samar of the LIgao City Health Office and the No Smoking Enforcement by P/Sr. Supt William S. Macavinta were important topics discussed.

The forum was capped by the signing of the commitment wall by the participants led by Ligao City Sangguniang Kabataan Federation Vice President Bryan David and Board Member Herbert Borja who also gave the overview of the SFAN.

Meantime, the SFAN challenge, an activity which demonstrated the girls readiness to take part in community work. The girls, whose ages ranged from 10 to 16 years old where divided into four groups. The S group posted stickers in public utility vehicles, the F group “find” ashtrays and encouraged owners to keep if not throw them. The A group appealed to smokers to stop smoking and persuaded them to enroll in the smoking cessation program while the N group posted no smoking signages in government offices.

Among the activities from which the girl scout participant in the encampment can select from are scrap book on no smoking; simple movie maker; self initiative activity of convincing home members to stop smoking; information dissemination at home, or neighborhood or community; distribution of leaflets or posting of stickers and signages; collecting ash trays from different government agencies; collecting cigarette butts using plastic gloves then placed in sealed container; taking photographs of smokers in prohibited areas.

This merit badge on smoking is the first for Albay GSP and the GSP as a whole.

The GSP is an association for girls and young women of the Philippines whose aim is to help girls and young women realize the ideals of womanhood and prepare themselves for their responsibilities in the home, the community, the nation, and the world community. (MAL/AAN, PIA V)

NAPOLCOM officially an SFAN Member

Below is a letter sent by NAPOLCOM to SFAN:

Albay girl scouts promotes no smoking campaign via SFAN challenge

 by Aida Alcazar-Naz

LEGAZPI CITY, November 11 (PIA) -- Children, girls at that can be effective advocates of no smoking.

Ligao City Vice Mayor Patricia G. Alsua said that when girl scouts throng in government buildings and public places in the city to promote no smoking she found the activity very effective.

Ligao, a no smoking city based on an ordinance passed by the sangguniang panglungsod this year was the exemplar for no smoking campaign by the Girl Scouts of the Philippines (GSP) Albay Council and the Smoke-Free Albay Network (SFAN) of the Provincial Government of Albay.

Some 1,200 girl scouts who participated in the Albay encampment on the theme Girl Scouts Save the Planet willingly participated in the SFAN challenge in the afternoon of October 27.

The girls whose ages range from 10 to 16 were divided into four groups and enthusiastically did their tasks.

The S group posted stickers in public utility vehicles particularly, jeepneys and tricycles, while the F cluster visited the city hall and nearby public buildings looking for ashtrays and encouraged the owners to keep them if not throw them away. Ashtrays are prohibited in government offices based on Civil Service Commission Memorandum Circular No. 17 series of 2009 and DILG Circular no. 2011-15.

Meantime, the A gang appealed to smokers to stop smoking and if needing help to inform SFAN so that they can be enrolled in a cessation program. The N group posted no smoking sign in public offices.

According to Haidie Rivera of a non-government organization Advantage who accompanied the A group young, girls are effective promoters of no smoking as they were able to convince smokers to kick the habit.

Herbert Mayores, director of AMA College Legazpi described the positive reaction of people when the group he accompanied started posting signages in public buildings.

Each group was accompanied by adult scout leaders, SFAN members, and elements of the Philippine National Police during the SFAN challenge held at the poblacion of Ligao City.

Alma Lozada former GSP Albay executive director now SFAN member representing Bicol University Extension Service Center said that the SFAN challenge was the first ever in any GSP encampment.

The purpose of the activity did not only made the scouters promoters of no smoking but as an approach of educating girls that smoking is not good for the health whether one is a smoker or passive smoker.

The Albay Girl Scouts Encampment wash held October 24-29 at Kawakawa Ligao City, Albay. (MAL/AAN, PIA V)