MANILA — The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) on Friday signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to provide training to advocates against illegal drugs.
Under the MOA, PDEA and PUP will cooperate and coordinate in the launch of animated anti-drug advocacy campaign materials and their further development through the holding of contests in schools.
“Under the agreement, PDEA shall conduct a trainor’s training to selected PUP officers to make them professional anti-drug advocates. The course will equip them with necessary knowledge, skills and abilities to effectively and competently carry out the drug demand reduction activities, including developing, organizing public awareness and education programs,” said PDEA Director General Aaron N. Aquino, who signed the MOA together with PUP president, Dr. Emanuel de Guzman.
Aquino said PDEA, in its bid to expand its anti-drug advocacy network in academic institutions, aims to facilitate more partnerships with schools to assist the agency in its demand reduction mandate, and in the government’s fight against the drug menace, as a whole.
“The new partnership comes at an opportune time as PDEA is currently strengthening its presence in different schools, colleges and universities as a preventive measure against the proliferation of illegal drugs in educational institutions,” he said, adding that the agency continues to empower the youth to positively influence their peers and become advocates of drug-free schools and communities.
The advocacy materials will be featured in PDEA’s drug prevention and awareness programs in the communities, with the shorter version to be shown in mall cinemas nationwide.
In addition, PDEA shall provide the necessary assistance and support for community involvement activities of the PUP, and other information materials for distribution during the sponsored drug abuse and prevention information drive.
The PDEA will also make available resource speakers and subject matter experts for the drug abuse preventive education and information dissemination during PUP’s activities.
Besides providing support to PDEA’s public affairs activities, PUP shall report any illegal drug activity, either having knowledge or suspected to be happening inside the school premises, and any drug dependent belonging to the PUP community for purposes of information-gathering and their immediate rehabilitation.
Also on Friday, advertising company Activations Advertising, Inc. (AAI) signed a MOA with PDEA to produce animated anti-drug advocacy campaign materials.
Under the MOA, signed by Aquino and Michelle Suzzane Claire B. Quintana, AAI president and CEO, both parties signified their commitment to collaborate efforts in conceptualizing and producing animated anti-drug advocacy materials with the shorter version to be shown in mall cinemas nationwide.
“PDEA extends its sincerest gratitude to AAI for fulfilling its corporate social responsibility. We need partners in the private sector like AAI, which are guided by strong interests in addressing relevant social issues, such as illegal drugs,” Aquino said, adding that there is a growing necessity to mobilize and maximize the participation of all sectors.
The MOA has identified the responsibilities of PDEA and AAI with regard to the mutual support and assistance of the preventive education and information dissemination activities between them.
Under the MOA, the parties will cooperate in the trainor’s training to produce professional anti-drug advocates, provide resource speakers and subject matter experts during public affairs activities, and act with dispatch on anti-drug information on drug personalities and illegal drug activity existing in the advertising company. (Christopher Lloyd Caliwan/PNA)
