BAGUIO CITY – This city received another global award for its efforts in reducing tobacco use and protecting public health.
Mayor Benjamin Magalong accepted the Global Tobacco Control Champion award during the World Conference on Tobacco Control on June 23 in Dublin, Ireland.
“Baguio humbly and honorably accepts this recognition as a Global Tobacco Control Champion,” Magalong said.
“This honor reflects our unwavering commitment to protecting public health through evidence-based policies and strong partnerships. Together, we have created a community-driven surveillance and education model that upholds every citizen’s right to breathe clean air.”
“As we gather with global leaders in Dublin, we reaffirm our dedication to a tobacco-free future – not only for Baguio, but for all cities working toward health, equity, and sustainable development,” he added.
Baguio City was one of the six recipients of the 2025 Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards for Global Tobacco Control for its monitoring efforts in tobacco use reduction.
Former New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies and World Health Organization Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries, handed out the award.
Baguio was recognized for its strict implementation of smoke-free and vape-free policies, effective use of data from the Global Youth and Adult Tobacco Surveys, and initiatives based on the WHO MPOWER strategy.
The award was Baguio's second international citation for its smoke-free programs.
In 2021, the city government, through the Smoke-Free Baguio Task Force (SFTF), received the Healthy Cities Award from the World Health Organization (WHO) under the category of “Sharing Clean Air: Committed to multi-sectoral implementation of smoke-free laws.”