25-06-2025
Baguio feted 2025 Bloomberg Philanthropies Award for tobacco control
Baguio City has been bestowed the 2025 Bloomberg Philanthropies Award for Global Tobacco Control in recognition of its efforts to control tobacco use and protect public health.
Joining Baguio City in this year's list of honorees are the Ukraine Committee on Public Health; the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in India; the Ministry of Health and Wellness in Mauritius; the Mexico and Salud Justa Mx, Ministry of Health as joint awardees; and the Ministry of Finance in Montenegro.
According to the Bloomberg Philanthropies Awards 2025 website, the annual recognitions celebrate the significant strides governments and non-governmental organizations have made in adopting and implementing best-practice tobacco control policies.
Baguio Mayor Benjamin Magalong accepted the award during the World Conference on Tobacco Control in Dublin, Ireland on June 23, 2025.
"The City of Baguio humbly and honorably accepts this recognition as a Global Tobacco Control Champion… 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," Magalong said.
"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.
In a statement, the Baguio City government said the recognition highlighted its collaborations with medical schools and a public-private monitoring model tracking tobacco use.
"The global tobacco control movement is helping save millions of lives and stands as one of the most successful public health efforts in history... This year's award winners demonstrate the real progress that can be achieved when evidence-based policies are implemented and enforced," Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies founder Michael Bloomberg was quoted by the city government as saying.
"Tobacco use remains a leading cause of preventable death, claiming more than seven million lives each year, primarily in low- and middle-income countries. Despite a global decline in smoking—from 22.8 percent in 2007 to 16.4 percent in 2023—over one billion people worldwide continue to smoke, as the tobacco industry invests billions in marketing, often targeting youth," Bloomberg was also quoted as saying.
Baguio City was also a recipient of 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" in 2021. — VDV, GMA Integrated News
