Civil society watchdog Global Alliance for Tobacco Control (GATC) again awarded the notorious "dirty ashtray" to the Philippine delegation on the last day of the 10th session of the Conference of Parties (COP10) to the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC).

The country received the award for its "brazen use of tobacco industry tactics to dispute and delay throughout COP10."

It received its first "dirty ashtray" award at COP4 in 2010 but was redeemed by an Orchid Award at COP5 when it excluded tobacco industry representatives from its delegation.

At COP9 in 2021, the Philippines received three "dirty ashtray" awards.

Former Department of Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral hopes that the government will take the award seriously.

"It is every government's mandate to protect the right of its population to utmost health and well-being," Cabral said.

"I hope that our delegates at the COP10 will take this dishonor as a wake-up call that they must stand for public health rather than the vested interests of the tobacco industry," she added.

The WHO FCTC is a global health treaty ratified by 183 parties to address the global tobacco epidemic and uphold the people's right to the highest standard of health.