Davao City – The use of women to promote products like cigarettes and alcoholic beverages in several bars and entertainment establishments here violates the city’s Women Code, a member of the city council here said Tuesday.

City Councilor Mabel Sunga-Acosta said the city’s Women’s Development Code prohibits use of women in the promotion of products like cigarettes and alcoholic beverages. Acosta observed that these women were asked by their employers to wear body-hugging outfit and “very short shorts” when doing the rounds selling mostly cigarettes inside videoke bars in the city.

She explained that the use of women in promoting cigarettes and alcohol beverages is a violation of City Ordinance 5004 or the Women Development Code of Davao City which prohibits the “co-modification of women” or “a practice which puts women in subordinate situation resulting
in the treatment of women as consumer goods and objects.”

It was learned that companies or establishments caught violating the ordinance are fined P5,000 or its business permit cancelled.

Meanwhile, the city government here is joining the bandwagon of government agencies placing infomercials in media outlets but the city will deviate from the usual promotion of personalities and instead focuses on its ordinances that must be followed strictly.

The city’s infomercial will contain only information on ordinances like the Anti-Smoking, the Women Development Code, the Children’s Code, and other ordinances that are to be strictly followed in the city.

The city government is expected to hang billboards with their infomercials in key areas in the city to remind the people of the do’s and don’ts while in this city.