Palace launches anti-drug videos

MANILA, Philippines - A father misses important moments in his daughter’s life when he becomes an addict and a mother takes on multiple jobs abroad to provide for her son, who has become a criminal after being addicted to drugs.

These two touching narratives are from two short videos that Malacañang launched in Davao City yesterday.

Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said the productions are part of the government’s intensified efforts to eliminate illegal drug trade and abuse.

“The advertisements will target the Filipino families who might be dealing with problems caused by drug abuse,” he said. “All hope is not lost. The time to end illegal drug dependence is now.”

Andanar said the videos would increase the government’s reach in sending the strong message that the drug menace is continuously destroying lives.

They would show that there is still a chance for those hooked on illegal drugs to stop and renew themselves, he added.

The 30-second clips would be aired on TV and in cinemas nationwide, Andanar said.

The full videos, which run for about two minutes and 30 seconds, would be posted on the social media pages of the Presidential Communications Office.

The “father” point of view of the videos shows a man missing the important moments of his daughter’s life because of his addiction to illegal drugs.

It ends with the father being confined in a hospital and forgotten by his family.

The “mother” point of view shows a woman taking on multiple jobs abroad as her son keeps asking for money, which is used to buy shabu.

It ends with her son involved in crime.

Cannes award-winning director Brillante Mendoza directed both videos, which have been approved by the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board.

In public schools, films and other video aids, along with anecdotes, are also being used to give students real-life lessons on illegal drugs.

Education Secretary Leonor Briones told lawmakers yesterday that they are strengthening preventive drug education in the public school system upon the instruction of President Duterte.

Focusing on the prevention of drug use among students is the public school system’s contribution to the anti-drug campaign, she added.

Briones also asked school authorities to guard against the entry of illegal drugs in schools.

“We know that drugs are delivered at the school gates. This is a threatening and dangerous development,” she said.

Briones also reported to the House appropriations committee chaired by Davao City Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles that 1,517,610 students are enrolled in Grade 11 under the K-12 curriculum.

“The good news is that the anticipated large number of dropouts (from Grade 10 or formerly fourth year high school) did not occur. Almost 100 percent of those who finished Grade 10 enrolled in Grade 11,” she said.

Briones said 60 percent or 774,031 of those who continued on to Grade 11 took up academic programs, while 594,027 opted for technical-vocational-livelihood education.

“Another good news: the anticipated massive displacement of college (first year and second year) teachers also did not occur,” she said.

The government started preparing for the K-12 program in 2011, she added.

Briones said 3,291 classrooms were programmed to be built in 2010; 12,513 in 2011; 16,323 in 2012; 34,686 in 2013; 33,608 in 2014; 41,728 in 2015, and 38,288 in 2016.

Many of those funded for 2015 and this year are still under construction, she added.

Briones reported a total of 230,104 teacher positions have been created: 11,675 in 2010, 13,775 in 2011, 15,663 in 2012, 61,510 in 2013, 33,130 in 2014, 39,002 in 2015, and 55,349 this year.  

Many of the positions funded for last year and this year are still being filled.

Her report shows that the classroom-student ratio has improved from 1 to 39 in 2009 to 1 to 34 in 2014 in elementary schools.

In the secondary level, the ratio fell from one room to 54 students in 2009 to 1 to 48 in 2014, she added.

In the case of the teacher-student radio, it improved from 1:36 in 2009 to 1:33 in 2015 in the elementary level and from 1:38 to 1:25 in the secondary level over the same period.  – With Jess Diaz, Sheila Crisostomo