Aklan Hymn and Anti-Smoking Ordinances Still at the Finetuning Stage

Kalibo, Aklan- After the actively participated public hearings by stakeholders, the pending vital proposed ordinance on the mandatory singing of the Aklan Hymn and the anti-smoking ordinance remain at the finetuning stage at its respective committee level.
As originally proposed by the Hon. Victor Manuel M. Garcia, the pending enactment will require the mandatory singing/playing of the official Aklan Hymn in all flag-raising ceremonies and official functions of both private and public sector offices and institutions.
In the public hearing however, the private sector stakeholders expressed apprehensions over the proposal of obliging private sector offices, organizations and institutions including private schools of the mandatory singing of the Aklan Hymn in their respective spheres.
The SP Committee on Laws, Rules and Ordinances chaired by SB Member Selwyn C. Ibarreta with SP Members Rodson F. Mayor and Victor Manuel M. Garcia as committee members is contemplating to push for mandatory requirement for the public sector and just to persuade the private sector to follow the public sector example.
Meanwhile, stakeholders who actively participated in the public hearing held on October 3, seemed to be heavily favored in pushing for the passage of the anti-smoking ordinance by the Hon. Selwyn C. Ibarreta, except for some refinements on its statutory construction.
The ordinance calls for the regulation of smoking in public places, including public conveyances, advertisements, promotions and sponsorships of tobacco products, in accordance with the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003 or Republic Act 9211.
Ibarreta’s proposed amendatory ordinance will effectively revise/reinforce existing SP Ordinances, Ordinance No. 4, Series of 1995 and Ordinance No. 02-005.