Only 10 join drug awareness week

CEBU, Philippines - The chief of the Cebu City Anti Drug Abuse Council has expressed disappointment after only 10 out of 80 barangays joined the motorcade for the opening of the Drug Awareness week yesterday.

 The ten barangays that were represented include Adlaon, Punta Princesa, Labangon, Duljo Fatima, Tinago, Kalubihan, and Kamputhaw.

CADAC presiding officer Clarence Paul Oaminal said that it only shows the lack of interest of the barangay officials in the advocacy against drugs.

 “Out of 80 barangays napulo lang ang nanungha ganina. Makita nato ang lack of interest. This is the problem here,” Oaminal said.

The drug awareness week is in line with proclamation no. 124 declaring the third week of November as Drug Abuse Prevention Control Week.

Oaminal said that he can’t find any reason why the officials weren’t able to attend the activity.

Oaminal encourages the barangay officials to attend the “March for Drug Free Cebu,” to be held on November 15 at 1 p.m. from Fuente Osmeña to Plaza Independencia. The activity will conclude this year’s Drug Awareness Week.

“Sa mga barangays nga di mu attend. Ako mismo, walay labot ang city government. Ako butangan og tarpaulin sa ila barangay nga “Our Barangay Officials Support Drug Lords. Mao nang ako jud sila giawhag to attend because this our simple way to show that we are against drugs” Oaminal said.

Barangay Captain Nieves Narra, Association of Barangay Council representative to CADAC, also expressed concern on the lack of participation from barangay officials in the activities of drug awareness week.

Narra stated that he will ask the ABC council to require all barangay officials to attend the parade and also address the problem to DILG.

Other activities for the week include a poster-making competition and a slogan-making contest at the Zapatera Elementary School on November 11.

 The following day, a Barangay against Drug Abuse Council seminar for barangay officials and tanods will be conducted to emphasize the importance of the barangay officials’ in the fight against drugs.

 “Ato tarongun ang BADAC. Naay memorandum ang DILG nga nag require sa barangays na mu-submit og report. Pero usually, kasagaran report sa BADAC kay bakak,” Oaminal pointed out.

 Oaminal stated that starting next month, all BADAC reports will be under oath so that if the reports are proven wrong, the barangay officials will be slapped with a perjury case.

Oaminal also encouraged the City Council to also join the parade on Saturday.

 Meanwhile, the Cebu City Office on Substance Abuse Prevention reported that shabu and marijuana are the most commonly used drugs in the city, based on the status of drug dependency in Cebu City for 2014.

 According to the report delivered by Alice Utlang, COSAP executive director, barangay officials of ten barangays in the city are drug-free. These include barangay officials from Barangays Pulang Bato, San Jose, Taptap, Parian, Lusaran, Tabunan, Budlaan and Banilad. (FREEMAN)