By Perfecto T. Raymundo, Jr.
QUEZON CITY — The Positive Youth Development Network (PYDN) on Friday (June 20) launched the “TobaccoOFF NOW! movement with more than 170 Filipino youth participants during the launching in Park Inn Hotel, Jeannie Anne Maguad, Executive Director of PYDN, said “Nang makausap natin ang mga kabataan, aware sila sa mga tactics ng industriya tulad ng sa flavors at packaging na appealing daw sa marami sa kanila. At willing silang sumama sa ating movement para protektahan ang kanilang kinabukasan.”
“As an advocate for the well-being of our young people, we want this youth-created and youth-led campaign to redefine their future — ensuring that they will live a healthier life,” Maguad added.
Vonn Vincent Tanchuan, the campaign’s Communication Lead said “The TobaccoOFF NOW movement is a collective voice of the youth. This is the youth telling the tobacco industry that they are ready to take back their future.”
“It amplifies the voices of Filipino youth speaking directly to their peers, their parents and guardians, the policymakers, their schools and community, and even to businesses about the world they want to live in. This world strongly rejects the tobacco industry and its products,” Tanchuan added.
During the panel discussion on the latest trends in youth vaping and smoking in the Philippines, Dr. Maricar Limpin, a pulmonologist from the Philippine Heart Center (PHC), cited the case of a 22-year-old man who died of vaping due to cardiac arrest, which was the first time that happened in the country.
Dr. Limpin stressed that vaping and smoking are just the same and have the same effects on the health condition of the people.
She lambasted that tobacco companies are using the numbers such as 3% or 5% nicotine content making it appear that their tobacco products contain less nicotine content compared with other products in the tobacco industry.
Dr. Limpin also scored the flavors or additives used in food and tobacco products “addictive” and are very dangerous.
For the age of 13-15, do you have the amount of PHP1 million to pay for your hospitalization? the Department of Health (DOH) asked.
“Don’t be duped by the millions of pesos in prizes being utilized by the tobacco companies in enticing the youth to get into vaping or smoking.”
“Huwag magyyosi. Huwag magvape.”
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said that the 17 local government units (LGUs), 16 cities and one municipality, have their own respective ordinances against smoking.
It added that the 17 LGUs in Metro Manila are progressing in their Tobacco Control Program.
In the 2015 Global Smoke Survey, there was a decrease in tobacco use among the youth, however, there was an increase in the number of actual smokers.
If there is discernment in their act, the youth can be held liable for violation of an ordinance of an LGU, through their parents.
The Parents Against Vape group is advocating for amendments in Republic Act No. 9211, or “The Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003”, as well as community empowerment seminar pertaining to the dangers of vape smoking.
It pointed out that the tobacco industry is now targeting the youth with their 16,000 flavors in their vape products and sold for as low as PHP100 without labels through chat and online.
The tobacco companies are using money to lure the prospective smokers or vapers to get the chance of winning the PHP500,000 in their raffle contest.
The national initiative led by the youth integrates their insights, experiences, and ideas on how to protect their fellow young people from the tobacco industry’s influence and interference, and empower them to take action.
The campaign began in March 2025 with co-creation workshops held in Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro, Metro Manila, Iloilo, and Dinagat Islands.
These workshops were attended by 126 youth participants who provided key insights and ideas to make the movement materialize.
It was supplemented by an online survey of 170 respondents nationwide, as well as message and creative identity testing through a survey and FGDs. The initiative responds to the alarming crisis of more than 8 million global deaths annually from tobacco.
Moreover, the movement highlighted the critical situation in the Philippines where a 2023 survey bared 1 million new smokers and vapers among adolescents aged 10-19.
With more than 15 million Filipino adults smoking, the team asserts this is the result of the tobacco industry’s calculated tactics that create an environment where youth can get hooked via flavored products, sleek packaging, influencer collaborations, and social media marketing. ###
