COSAP holds surprise drug test for DepEd execs; teachers next

CEBU, Philippines - At least 139 employees of the Department of Education (DepEd)- Cebu City Division were subjected to random drug testing last Friday afternoon.

Cebu City Office for Substance Abuse Prevention (Cosap) Chief Garry Lao said his office has facilitated the random drug testing to personnel belonging to decision-making positions of DepEd-Cebu City.

“The result of the drug testing will serve them as confidential record of the personnel for future improvement and other placement,” he said, adding that the result will be available next week.

Lao said the personnel include the education program supervisors, public school’s district supervisors, division coordinators, school principals, heads and officer-in-charge of the public schools. No one objected in the conduct of the drug testing, he added.

He said he would have wanted to extend the random drug testing to all teachers in the public schools in the city.

“As of now, wala pa tay schedule for the drug testing of the teachers. Mas maayo nga iapil gyud nato sila kay DepEd has committed to strengthen its program on anti-illegal drugs and it’s not good to clean sa atong gawas sa backyard if our surrounding is not clean from drugs,” he said.

Lao said COSAP will start its room-to-room campaign in elementary schools of the city on the office’s campaign against illegal drugs.

Starting July 3, COSAP will start disseminating information to students of Grades 4 to 6 at Carreta Elementary School and Tejero Elementary School.

Lao said there is a need to involve these students in the fight against illegal drugs because they are the hope of the generations to come.

“Maayong maka-start gyud ta sa elementary students kay mas maayo sa eskwelahan pa lang, makahibalo na sila sa ill effects sa drugas kaysa sa gawas nila mahibaw-an. We want to show our compassion sa atong mga graders,” he said.

Lao said the office will also be conducting a drug symposium on July 14 among graders in Barangay Agsungot.

He said he is still waiting feedbacks from other schools in the city for the conduct of the information dissemination in their schools.

“We will just wait if naay mo-tap namo kay we are also doing the reorientation of the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council sa mga matag barangay nato,” he said.

Lao said he is hoping that the series of information dissemination will help in discouraging people from using illegal drugs. (FREEMAN)