65% of BPO employees in Baguio are smokers: task force
A survey conducted by the Baguio City anti-smoking task force found that approximately 65% of agents in business process outsourcing (BPO) companies in the city are smokers. Cigarette addiction, according to anti-smoking task force head Dr. Donnabel Tubera, is prevalent among BPO employees because of their work schedule and various challenges they experience. Given the serious health issues of smoking, the task force plans to help BPO workers control their addiction by coordinating with HR units of BPO firms to train their personnel to conduct information drives and provide counselling on quitting to the employees. The city government started implementing the Smoke-Free Baguio Ordinance in May 2017, in line with President Rodrigo Duterte’s Executive Order 26, which provides for smoke-free establishments in public and enclosed places.
