COMICS AS DRUG PREVENTION. The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Western Visayas distributes comics to boost its anti-drug advocacy in Western Visayas. Written in Filipino and English languages , the comics has two main characters Agent PheD and Eyah, according to PDEA 6 spokesperson David Garcia. (Photo courtesy of PDEA)
ILOILO CITY -- Using comic strips, with two vital characters, have boosted the anti-drug advocacy of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Western Visayas.
“This is an initiative of our PDEA office in Manila to reach out, especially to the youth because they are the usual victims of drugs,” said PDEA Western Visayas information officer and spokesperson David Garcia in an interview on Wednesday.
The series of comics has two important characters: Agent Phed and Agent Eyah, he said. It also has illustrations to make the stories more interesting.
“It’s a series of comics with episodes. Each episode has different stories,” Garcia shared.
He added that it’s just like the ordinary comic books but the focus is on drugs and the main character is the PDEA.
The comics feature stories of persons who got hooked on drugs, their struggles and how they were able to overcome their addiction.
The comics were also made to “get children back into reading” because nowadays most children are into gadgets and read less, he said.
The comics have been distributed to various provinces in the region through interdiction teams that focus on ports and airports and drug symposia.
“We could not measure how successful it is because there are no studies yet conducted,” he said, although they have already saturated the region in terms of distribution.
He added that for now, there is no discussion yet whether or not to translate the comics in Hiligaynon language as it is currently written in Filipino.
“Hopefully they do because it is interesting when it is in Hiligaynon,” he said. (PNA)
