ANTI-DRUG ADVOCATES. Students of the Aurora State College of Technology commit to support the “Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan” (BIDA) program during an anti-drug symposium on Oct. 26, 2023. The Department of the Interior and Local Government ties up with state universities and colleges in Central Luzon to boost the government’s anti-illegal drugs campaign. (File photo courtesy of DILG-Central Luzon)
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is teaming up with state universities and colleges (SUCs) in Central Luzon to boost the government’s anti-illegal drugs campaign.
DILG-Region 3 (Central Luzon) Director Anthony Nuyda said on Monday that four SUCs in the region have signed a memorandum of understanding showing their commitment to support the “Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan” (BIDA) program.
Nuyda said the BIDA program has so far gained anti-illegal drug advocates among students of the President Ramon Magsaysay State University in Zambales, Bataan Peninsula State University, Tarlac State University and Aurora State College of Technology.
“Students from those SUCs gained valuable insights about the importance of a drug-free and responsible lifestyle in the BIDA symposium being conducted in their respective schools,” he said in a news program.
Nuyda said that aside from the DILG, representatives from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Philippine National Police, and Department of Health also shared invaluable insights concerning the intricacies of illegal drugs, pertinent laws, and terminologies involved in the implementation of drug-demand reduction activities during BIDA symposiums.
He said the symposium is one of the drug-demand reduction strategies of the BIDA program that aims to enlighten and educate students about the adverse effects of illegal drugs, fostering self-discipline while engaging the youth as partners in combating drug-related issues.
In partnership with different SUCs in the region’s seven provinces (Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija and Aurora) and highly-urbanized cities Olongapo and Angeles, Nuyda said the DILG-Central Luzon aims to engage more youth in promoting a clean community that is free of illegal substances.
“We are continuously hoping to imbue to the youth the importance of a drug-free and responsible lifestyle,” he added. (PNA)
