GENERAL SANTOS City— The city government is set to launch a series of intensive anti-drug advocacy activities in various communities and schools within the city.
City Mayor Ronnel Rivera said Friday such move is in line with a newly-launched initiative of the local government that aims to enhance and strengthen efforts to protect the city’s youth and other concerned sectors from the illegal drug menace.
Dubbed “Likay Droga” or “Lingap Kabataang Ayaw sa Droga”, he said the campaign is a mainly collective effort that seeks to effectively address the proliferation of illegal drugs in the city’s 26 barangays.
The launching of the Likay Droga campaign was one of programs that the mayor promised to implement during his state of the city address in August last year.
“We’re bringing our anti-drug campaigns, especially the information and education drives, to our schools and communities,” the mayor said in a statement.
Rivera said they will partner with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-Region 12, Philippine National Police (PNP), Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) for the program’s implementation.
He said they will also enlist the services of local private schools and other groups to enhance the campaign.
Rivera said the local government will initially develop Likay Droga modules that will be used later on by teachers from DepEd in conducting seminars in schools and communities.
He said the seminars will be assisted by student volunteers and personnel from the PDEA and PNP.
The mayor said he personally pushed for the implementation of the program as he saw the need for the city government to take special attention on the area’s youth.
“It is undeniable that our young people are facing many challenges these days and we’re seriously addressing through our various programs,” he said.
Last month, the city government held a week-long festivity to showcase and harness the talents and skills of the area’s youth in sports and the arts.
The activity included sessions on major issues affecting the youth, among them the teenage pregnancy and drug addiction.
“Pursuing programs and initiatives towards youth development will remain my priority. This is because I believe that the local government has a crucial role in providing support, avenue, and opportunity for the total development of our younger generations,” he said.
“If we want to make our children to become good people and future leaders of our country, then it is our duty to guide them while they are still young,” Rivera added. pna
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