UNIVERSITY Secretary-General Fr. Winston Cabading O.P. has declared the no-smoking policy a success.
“During the first week of the policy’s implementation, I asked the maintenance people to separate the cigarette butts when they sweep and they were only able to collect a few plastic bags, which become less as the days go by,” Fr. Cabading said. “So I’d say that is an improvement.”
However, Fr. Cabading said that there are still those who defy the ban who secretly smoke on campus. Some students who see fellow students smoking choose to keep quiet about it.
“The only thing needed for evil to infiltrate the earth is for good men to do nothing,” Fr. Cabading said. “We need the cooperation of the students.”
Fr. Cabading also stressed that even seminarians and resident priests abide by the policy even if theoretically they are not part of the University.
“The priests, out of respect for the University, abide by the policy too. Kasi in the seminary, they have their own rector who is equal in power to Fr. (Tamerlane) Lana. So hindi talaga sila sakop ng policy. Pero for the sake na makita na united tayo in promoting a smoke-free environment for the whole area of UST, they abide by the policy,” Fr. Cabading said.
Students generally approve of the policy while some suggest the setting up of smoking areas since smokers congregate outside of the walls of the campus, becoming an eyesore outside and a bad image for UST.
Hazel Miranda, a Commerce student, said the policy checks the rampant smoking on campus.
But Jey Amurao, a Journalism student, said smoking areas should be set up on campus to discourage students from smoking outside.
“Ang cheap at ang sagwa kasi tignan ng mga Thomasians na naninigarilyo sa labas mismo ng gates ng UST,” he said. Jennifer B. Fortuno and John Patrick D. Padilla
