FEU-EAC Conducts Drug Awareness Seminar

April 26, 2011

After the release of the United Nations’ 2008 World Drug report that revealed the Philippines as the country with the most number of drug dependents in South East Asia, the government intensified its campaign on drug awareness and prevention. Apart from the incorporation of lessons on drugs on various subjects, the National Drug Education Program of the Department of Education recognized the role of informal education approaches as a venue for drug-abuse information dissemination.

Taking this into consideration, the Student Affairs and Community Services Office (SACSO) of FEU East Asia organized a forum dubbed as “COUNT ON ME TO BE DRUG FREE: A Forum on Drug Awareness and Prevention” on March 23, 2011. Two speakers were invited to present: Alarianito Blanco, M.D. of DDB EU-TRC presented the contributing factors on drug dependency; while a recovering drug dependent, Alvin del Pilar, shared the 12 Alcoholic Anonymous which is a set of guiding principles for recovery from addiction. The forum was then followed by small group discussions wherein each group was participated by a guidance counselor and recovering drug dependents who shared their life experiences and realizations with the participants.

The information and experiences shared in the forum benefited a total of 97 participants. Although the forum is in compliance with the DepEd’s program on drug prevention, Senior Director May Rose C. Imperial acknowledged FEU East Asia’s initiative on proper information dissemination with regards to the current national issue on drug trafficking and rising drug dependency in the country. Forums, such as this, are a way of FEU East Asia in equipping the iTamaraws with proper knowledge and information to be counted as drug-free.