Rama orders reevaluation of COSAP's anti-drugs drama

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama has ordered to reevaluate the holding of stage drama in the different barangays as part of the anti-drug campaign of the City Office for Substance Abuse Prevention.

Rama wants to know how effective was the stage drama presentations as one of the city’s anti-drug programs.

 The mayor has ordered City Hall public information officer Carlo Dugaduga to coordinate with his secretary Belinda Navasquez and security consultant Romeo Cordova to conduct the reassessment of the drama presentations of COSAP and to submit to him their evaluations.

The city is spending more than P100,000 every month for the honorarium of at least a dozen of drama talents who usually conduct at least two to three stage dramas in different barangays every week.

The COSAP drama team will feature stories of drug addicts to inform the public of the bad effects of illegal drugs. The barangay officials or the heads of sitios in Cebu City can request for the holding of dramas in their respective places, particularly during fiesta celebrations, free of charge. 

Rama wants to strengthen COSAP’s activities to discourage the public, particularly the youths from being hooked in illegal drugs. Rama however did not tell whether he will discontinue the program if it is found to be ineffective.

The project started sometime in the early part of 2001. City Hall is allocating P2 million for COSAP activities, including the budget for the drug testing kits that will be used for surprise drug testing of selected City Hall and barangay employees who are suspected as drug users. (FREEMAN)