Anti-Drug Youth Task Force Ordinance in force next year

By: Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Councilor Israel Salanga said the ordinance creating the Bacolod Anti-Drug Youth Task Force will be implemented in 2020.

This, after the Bacolod Sangguniang Panlungsod approved on third and final reading the ordinance during its last session on Dec 23, 2019.

The budget for the implementation of the ordinance is already included in the city government’s 2020 budget.

Salanga, main proponent of the measure, said the ordinance was originally titled an “Ordinance Institutionalizing the Barkada Kontra Droga Program of the Dangerous Drugs Board in all private and public schools, colleges and universities in the City of Bacolod.”

However, some councilors suggested that instead of adopting the national program, they create a local version through an ordinance.

Salanga said the ordinance will be implemented in all public and private schools in Bacolod City.

This will become part of the program of the Department of Education (DepEd) that will involve the students through the formation of an organization, he added.

Salanga explained that the organization will have its set of elected officers who will be empowered by the city government. The program will be a partnership between the city, DepEd and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) for the implementation of a massive campaign against illegal drugs.

Among the activities of the task force are fun run, training and seminars for officers in the different schools, and a contest to increase the awareness of the youth about drugs.

The objective is to create armies of students to partner with the city in the fight against illegal drugs and to create set of officers or young people that they can empower, Salanga said.