2,662 STUDES COMPLETE DRUG-EDUCATION COURSE

A total of 2,662 elementary and high school students from public schools
graduated from the new drug-education program dubbed Drug Abuse Resistance
Education (DARE) course initiated by the Department of Education (DEPED) in
coordination with the local government and the Davao City Police Office.

Students of Talomo Elementary School and Bucana Elementary School graduated
from the DARE course on December 7 and December 9, respectively.

Launched on February 4, 2005 in Davao City, the DARE course is gearing
towards its second year of implementation in selected elementary and
secondary schools in the city with 13 schools (10 elementary and three high
school) already covered.

DARE is a 10-week twice-a-week course administered in the fifth and sixth
grade and high school students of selected schools in the city.

Davao DepEd DARE coordinator Cielo Estrada said as of now, only selected
schools are covered by the program due to lack of DARE officers and educators.

"At present, we have only 20 DARE officers and six educators who were
trained by the DARE Canadian Mentors last year," Estrada said.

DARE, which started in the United States in early 80s, teaches children to
abstain from drugs, alcohol, and gangs. It also tries to boost self-esteem
and resistance to peer pressure.

The course is taught by specially trained uniformed law enforcement officers.

As of the moment, Estrada said they have difficulty in covering all the
schools due to their limited uniformed officers who also render duty as
police officers.

"If they would work full time as DARE officers, we can expect that they
would be bombarded with several memorandums considering that they have to
work also as police officers," Estrada said.

Due to the success of the program, Estrada said Mayor Rodrigo Duterte had
suggested the inclusion of DARE in the school curriculum.

DepEd regional director Diamar Kadon, who witnessed the graduation of DARE
students in Bucana Elementary School, said he is open to the idea of
integrating DARE to the curriculum.

Estrada said during the first year, DARE course gained positive response
from the students as they developed their relationship with the police
officers.

Source: JESSIE CASALDA