Why EO Against Smoking is Not Good News For Us

Of course we are educated smoking cigarette is not good for our health because it cause cancer, diseases, and illnesses and will send us to hospital and even to grave. But just like any other foods, hobbies and vices this is always a choice, foods like soft drinks that could trigger our diabetes, fatty goods that could trigger heart attack because of high cholesterol, salty foods against our kidneys and wines and liquor that can change your spirits.

And of course again, I think I’m not like those old folks in our place that said smoking cigar and cigarettes are not really causing bad to our health and body because as they said, there are also some good benefits in smoking. I’m not in the position that smoking has been part of our traditions long long time ago.

So, when our President sign that Executive Order regulating where not to smoke especially in public places, it’s not the win-win solution for us. Why? Well, here are some reasons why some of Ilocanos are not so happy that EO.

1.       Tobacco is the number one cash crop. Ilocano farmers are planting rice, corn, peanut, cottons, vegetables but the number one cash crop never change from the time I have known farming. Farmers send their children up to colleges and universities, flew their wives for job abroad, built their bungalow or bought their refrigerators and televisions because of tobacco farming. Comparing with other farm crops, tobacco is the biggest earners for them.

2.       Tobacco brought progress to the municipalities and provinces in Ilocos. It’s all because of Republic Act 7171 where the RA 8242 where the tobacco producing municipalities and provinces got their share of excise tax and thus brought the cemented of the farm to market roads, building of the bridges, giving subsidy like fertilizers, seeds and other farm inputs and implements to farmers, irrigations and other infrastructure and development projects for the local government unit.

3.       Tobacco is part of the Iloano culture. In the epic Biag Ni Lam-ang (Life of Lam-ang), cigar is already mentioned in that oldest epic of the Philippines. Which means tobacco planting in Ilocos have been from the year 1600. You see, it means it’s planting and sipping cigar which we call ‘dinubla’ have been here even before our great great grandfather. Igorots chew it as ingredient to their ‘mama’.

4.       Tobacco is tradition. The tradition is a cycle of farming in the Ilocos. Grandfather passing it to his children and father pass it to his son. Actually, most of the farmers have known first the work of tobacco like ‘gatud’, ‘tudok’, ‘pugon’ among others before knowing the work in planting and harvesting rice, corns and cottons. Because farming tobacco is not easy so the father will need his proper guidance to his children to follow his footstep in tobacco farming.

5.       Tobacco is livelihood. People in the rural village are all in ‘sarpaw’ for the job. Women, young and old are tending the work of the tobacco leaves. They will be paid based on their output. Aside from them, the old women you can see them in the market selling sun dried native tobacco leaves for cigars. It’s common for old folks to chew or smoke cigars that sometimes you can see the lighted part inside their mouth. Would you believe them saying its their secret why they live to that age. The National Tobacco Administration—a government agency under Department of Agriculture employed thousands of personnel to help the tobacco farmers are all under the tobacco benefits.

These are few reasons why Ilocano plant produce flu cured tobacco leaves. Some farmers do not smoke but just producing high quality tobacco leaves.

Because of this reason, many tobacco farmers are really saddened with that EO because they will be affected.