Written by Jhezereel Bangaoet, Dianne Rose Daileg, and Kysia Ferrer
Over the years, the University of Baguio has consistently enforced strict anti-vaping and anti-smoking measures, reflecting its strong commitment to the city’s Smoke-Free Ordinance.
According to the Security Director Jayton Anaen, the University of Baguio was the first university in Cordillera to impose operations, “Spot Check”, that regularly search students’ belongings thoroughly for any signs of vapes or other tobacco products. Along with “Tusok Bag”, where Marshals use sticks to check the bags of students before entering the campus, relying on plain view without force inspection.
“Everyday. As long as you enter the campus, you have to cooperate with the security.” said Chief Jayton, highlighting the campus’ strictness on the prohibition of vapes or any tobacco products. “There are times also that the Deans and the Principals will request to conduct ‘Spot Check’” on their respective departments.
In 2024, UB’s Security Office formalized its smoke-free policy, approved by the Office of Student Affairs (OSA). The policy mandates confiscation of vapes or any tobacco products. Stating that any students that violate will be sent to the security office for questioning then the student together with their I.D will be forwarded to OSA. The OSA will then impose sanctions ranging from three days of community service for first offense to five day suspensions with community service for repeat violations.
However, Chief Jayton clarified that the final decision rests with the dean. Some deans strictly follow the stated policy, while others add additional requirements, such as assigning community service within their own offices, as long as OSA permits it. This strict enforcement was matched by equal diligence in handling the confiscated devices. The previous method of disposing of these collected vapes was deemed “hazardous”, the security office opted to surrender them to the Public Order and Safety Division (POSD) for safety measures and proper disposal at the end of each year. Chief Jayton recalled an incident in which a vape exploded during their routine practice of destroying confiscated vapes by smashing them with a hammer. “It’s chemical— it explodes, that’s why we decided to surrender it to the POSD,” Chief Jayton
