smoking in public is illegal in Manila?

Question

my friend went to Manila for holiday recently. he was smoking on the street couple blocks away from his hotel. suddently there were policemens approved and told him that smoking is illegal and asked for passport checking. my friend did not bring passport along and invited the policemens to come to his hotel to check it. the policemens invited my friend into police car. my friend had no choise but got into the police car. the policemen drove my friend around the city and the policemens proposed to solve the case with 20€. my friend gave him the money and asked for receipt in return. the policemen asked my friend to come to police station to collect the receipt.

i am not smoker. my intention to ask question here is to check whether Manila is safe city to visit.

i heard that Manila is crowded of corruption and other dangerous. i did not shock when my friend told me that bank is guarded by many security officers with heavy weapons.

since the city is not safe until now, i will not visit it until there are changes

thank you

Answer 1

As far as i know, except for Makati City, there is no city in Metro Manila enforcing strictly a Local Ordinance against smoking in public. However, there are places like hotels, restaurants and shopping malls wherein it is generally prohibited.. I am sorry for your friend because there are really cops who are corrupt here but that should not also prevent u from visiting our country because anywhere in the world incidence of extortions happen not only to tourists but also to local residents.. what i can suggest is that anywhere you plan to go, try to learn even a little of the culture of the country u planned to visit. .. and its always common sense to try not to smoke in public, litter, or do any activity that is normally taboo in the place where u lived because ignorance will never be an excuse in breaking a law in any country...

Answer 2

I was just in Manila two months ago and I saw people smoking on the street so I am not sure if it is illegal. You have contradicting answers from some people.

Sadly, corruption is a fact of life in the Philippines, not just Manila and not just with the police. I have been to the Philippines seven times now and have never had to pay any money to make a problem go away......yet! Your friend got caught in a scam, plain and simple. It happens in other countries too.

I always carry a copy of my passport with me, leaving my real passport in the hotel safe or room safe.

There are armed guards everywhere, not just the banks. They are outside the malls, Jollibees, McDonalds, everywhere. I was shocked when I first encountered that but it does not bother me anymore

Manila and the Philippines are safe. If you are going to wait until things change before you ever visit, than you will never make it to one of the nicest countries I have ever visited. I have been there seven times now and will be making trip number eight just three weeks from now.

Answer 3

Never heard that smoking is prohibited in the street in Manila or eaven somewhere else in the world...

But for instance i heard many, many times that some tourists had to pay the policeman in the philippines for any kind and type of excuses...
You also got to know that the salary of a police agent in the city is not a big deal... for not to say the word peanuts...

And of course there is no receipt to become at the police station, because it was a non official transaction... :) :) :) sigh ...

Answer 4

I smoked for many years. I stopped smoking about 9 years ago. I will have to be honest. If someone put a ban on smoking in public when I was a smoker. I would want to brake the ban. When I was in high school (many years ago) I knew if I smoked on the school grounds I would be punished. But did that stop me? No! Now that I am a non smoker and I have asthma and I can't hardly breath good anyway. More than likely due to my smoking the biggest part of my life. I would like to see it banned for my breathing reason. But my view on Banning Smoking in public or anywhere else far as that goes. Well I would have to say: No they should not ban smoking but it would be nice! Are you more confused know after listening to me. I am!

Answer 5

I was in Manila a year ago and there was no such ordinance. If they've instituted one since, I haven't heard about it! They did have a rule about smoking in closed-door public places, such as bars and cabarets, but on the street? Did you notice the trend? the threat was to 'run him in' if he didn't cough up some dough...your friend got suckered, and I would be greatly surprized if the person doing the pressuring were even really a police officer! Chalk it up to(bad) experience and move on...this is one of those things that happens to tourists when they look like a mark!

Answer 6

If it's a law, it certainly is not enforced.

I smoke in Jeepneys and taxi's if the driver will let me.

I've never been accosted by the police for smoking anywhere in Makati City or any other part of Metro Manila.

And I live here.

I've lived in Manila for two years and I've never felt unsafe.

Walk with your head up and if you have no street smarts, at least make it look like you do......My friend from England was here for two weeks and got robbed three times.

Stupid is as stupid does, right?

Answer 7

You can smoke in an open air area (as oppose to enclosed building) in Manila and even in smoke free area like Makati. Some buildings have a designated smoking room like the Starbucks at the enterprise building along paseo and Ayala avenue.

You can smoke but you cannot litter.. Some of the policeman and plainclothes city officials will just watch you smoke and will only approach you when you dispose your cigarette butt in a place other than the thrash receptacle.

Answer 8

Sorry to say this , but your friend got taken . There is no city ordinance to my knowledge about smoking in public areas . Manila is a huge city though , and some cops are corrupt . I prefer Angeles , Dau , and the provinces . Less problems .

Answer 9

No, it is not illegal to smoke on public property. Your friend was extorted. Within a business, whether or not you are allowed to smoke depends on the proprietor.

About your heavily armed guards at the banks comment, the local McDonald's and KFC's are secured by shotgun-wielding guards too. I'm lovin' it.

Answer 10

smoking in manila is still allowed. you just can't smoke in restaurants, casinos, hotel lobby and some private places that doesn't allo smoking. but when you go to davao a province in mindanao, it's prohibited. you can't smoke in all place unless you're inside a house.