GENERAL SANTOS CITY (PIA) -- Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. led local government officials of Sarangani and General Santos City, employees, and residents at the Sarangani Capitol Grounds in Alabel to kickstart the "Buhay Ingatan, Droga'y Ayawan," or BIDA program in Soccsksargen.

Launched in Sarangani province on Saturday, June 24, the BIDA program is the administration’s commitment to continuously fight against illegal drugs in the country.

The DILG chief underscored that this is the fight not only of the government but also of every parent and everyone else who loves their children.

"Ang laban sa droga is a global war. Hindi lamang ito sa Pilipinas. Ito’y sa Amerika, sa Europa, sa buong mundo," he said, as he reminded everyone of the importance of intelligence, emotional, social, and adversity quotients in the fight against illegal drugs, especially among the youth.

According to him, the latter, which is the adversity quotient, is very important as it measures one’s ability to face and handle problems.

“Walang taong walang problema, lahat tayo nagkaroon ng problema, mabigat man o simple. Ang tanong paano mo dadalhin ang problema. Sad to say sa nangyari sa COVID ang mga bata ngayon ay connected only sa social media,” he said, rationalizing that unlike before, the youth had more of that social connection—forging friends and sustaining the camaraderie among them.

But the current generation of youth, he said, has the tendency to be “dictated” upon by social media as they connect more to it, which has been proven to be unhealthy, resulting in “a high rate of teenage suicide.”

He then urged the families, the schools, the church, and the communities to unite in strengthening the youths’ self-esteem and confidence by encouraging them to engage in sports and healthy exercises in order to keep them away from the temptation of illegal drugs and the influence of drug pushers and peddlers. 

Abalos said drug syndicates are evil people "as they will hurt you where it will hurt you most."

But he said: "There’s no room for fear. Lalabanan ng pulis ito. Lalabanan ng DILG ito, kamukha ng sinabi ko, at gagawin at ginagawa ngayon ito. Pero higit sa lahat, this should be a whole-of-nation approach."

The interior secretary emphasized that there should be a balance between supply reduction and demand reduction. “This approach is not only about demand reduction. It’s about supply reduction [being] equally important,” explaining further that apprehension alone will not decrease the demand for illegal drugs, but equally important is having the right information, education, and dialogue that should be provided to the people, especially the youth.

"Pero habang nanghuhuli tayo, titingnan naman natin ang ating kabataan at tuturuan sila na importante ang lifestyle. Importante, kausapin mo. Importante, malaman nila na sisira sa kanila ito," he pointed out.

Abalos also expressed confidence that Filipinos will be victorious in the fight against illegal drugs, as he cited three very strong Filipino traits: being family-oriented, being very religious, and the spirit of bayanihan, or collective community spirit.

Along with Secretary Abalos, other VIPs who joined the kickoff were regional BIDA ambassador and former Senator Manny Pacquiao, Sarangani Governor Rogelio Pacquiao, General Santos City Mayor Lorelie Pacquiao, and Police Regional Office 12 Regional Director PBGen. Jimili Macaraeg, including the town mayors, and other officials from SarGen legislative offices and heads of various national government agencies, non-government organizations, LGU departments, and youth organizations.

Meanwhile, former Senator Pacquiao urged everyone to cooperate and help bring success to the BIDA program, emphasizing the vital role that each individual plays in ensuring that communities remain drug-free.

According to him, in the BIDA program, it is not just the government authorities that should work together to combat illicit drugs but the entire community as well.

Highlighting the importance of support in addressing drug abuse in Sarangani and General Santos, Governor Rogelio Pacquiao vowed “to dedicate and commensurate effort and resources in drug use prevention and the rehabilitation of users, who after all can be more accurately described as victims of this evil [illegal drug].”

He then encouraged the thousands of people attending the BIDA launch to be united against drug abuse and sustain their support for the BIDA program by maintaining the same vigor as they did during the kickoff. 

The governor believes that SarGen and the whole of Region 12 will soon beat the problem of illegal drugs, which will then lead to a more peaceful and prosperous future for the youth in the region.

The program commenced with a lively BIDA dance and exercise warm-up, followed by a fun run/walk activity and bike and motorcycle riding, which were led by Secretary Abalos, former Senator Pacquiao, Gov. Pacquiao, and Mayor Pacquiao.

The officials also viewed the DILG-initiated mural painting, which showcased the talents of the youth and depicted the ill effects of using illegal drugs.

Just before the finale, another BIDA dance was held, and the ringing of a fire truck siren from the Bureau of Fire Protection and its colorful water spraying signaled the end of the BIDA program's launch. (With Harlem Jude Ferolino/PIA SaGen)