Balbalan heightens fight against illegal drugs

Balbalan, Kalinga - To intensify the campaign against illegal drugs, the Department of Interior and Local Government and the municipal government unit of Balbalan launched on Thursday, November 24, the “Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan (BIDA) program.

The program is said to be a more holistic campaign against illegal drugs to combat the problem through demand reduction.

Municipal Local Government Operation Officer Mediatrix Alino said the launching of said program aimed at reducing drug-demand through empowering communities, engaging them in anti-illegal drug activities, raising public awareness, and de-stigmatizing drug-addiction.

Officials present during the launching include Mayor Almar Malannag, Vice Mayor Rowina Damian, PNP-Balbalan Chief of Police Benjo Torres.

In their talks, they thanked the public in their cooperation to programs relative to the fight against illegal drugs, resulting in the municipality to attain the ‘drug-free’ status.

However, even being declared as a drug-free municipality by the Provincial Audit Team on Illegal drugs, the locals are still encouraged by the local government to cooperate in sustaining the fight against illegal drugs.

One that the yBalbalans could do in order to sustain the drug-free title is to support programs of the local government unit relative to the campaign against illegal drugs.

The following are the programs and activities that will be implemented in the municipality following the launching of the ‘BIDA’ program:

· Raise awareness of the ill effects of

dangerous drugs through an information-education-communication campaign;

· Promote health and wellness, most especially for the youth sector;

· Strengthen institutions such as the Department of Health, PNP, Department of

Education in the implementation of drug-demand reduction activities; and

· Encourage multi-sectoral participation in the implementation of the BIDA program.

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