Smoking in public is illegal in Manila?

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sen

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...

jean marc l

it is very possible. mind you it depends where in manila?as for the police asking money it does not surprise me

â„¦LOMLâ„¦ loveofmylife

ure friend got punked...
if i were him i should have reported him, took his name, ID, took a picture of him...the damage has been done...

wetdreamdiver

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!

patrick4true

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 ...

<M-A-R-T<<

Nah...I live here! Anyone smokes anywhere here...It depends on what distrinct you are too.....Sorry for your friend!

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.

Lesiflea

Sounds like your friend just bought merienda for the whole precinct.

Call it the foreigner tax.

g zorros

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.

Ray H

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 .

sunson06

Sure.

lepactodeloupes

actually no smoking is just another way for our police force to extort money from the citizenry, sorry for your friend, but if you run into the uniformed men just try to get their names and remember their faces, to stop theses illegal acts.

Gary

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.

Watchman

The police just plainly robbed him. But he's alive it could have been worst.

Grazelle V

yup...smoking in metro manila is prohibited...even jeepney drivers...

crash

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?

Well

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.

Sanmigsean

It's not allowed in Makati.

If your friend got into that situation, and asked for a receipt he is a moron and needs to get out more. Why risk more trouble for friggin 20 Euro.

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