Pubdate: Sun, 20 Feb 2005 Source: Manila Times (Philippines) Copyright: 2005, The Manila Times Contact: http://www.manilatimes.net/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/921 Author: Dino Balabo Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/meth.htm (Methamphetamine) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/women.htm (Women) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/areas/Philippines WOMEN OF PANDI PLEDGE TO FIGHT VS. DRUGS PANDI, Bulacan: Like the women of Malolos more than a century before them, the women of this central Bulacan town have pledged to wage war against illegal drugs and save their children from future trouble. Vowing to save the youth from the clutches of drug lords, the members of the Pandi Women's League said they will hold antidrugs seminars in local high schools to help dissuade the youth from taking illegal drugs. The women made the pledge after civic leader Nestor Datuin of the Lions Club made an antiillegal drug presentation at the launching of the "Ang Mayor at Ikaw" forum here. According to Datuin, drug users today are between 11- and 29-year and it is best to educate the younger ones on the dangers of illegal drugs. "Its better that we equip and warn them this early that they may not try and get hooked on it," he said. Datuin added figures showed that shabu remain the favorite drug of abusers and marijuana is second. He said that users could be as young as 7 years old and as old as 89. Datuin also said that the illegal drug trade in the country is worth about P400 billion, or about half of the national government's budget for 2005. "No wonder, they can buy officials from police to judges," he said, noting that in 1972 there were only 20,000 illegal drug users in the country, but it has ballooned to 3.4 million. "We must join hands to combat this menace to society," Mayor Ambrosio Cruz of Guiguinto town, the Bulacan mayor's league president, said. He also stressed that with the joint efforts of the communities and governments, the fight against illegal drugs could be won. "We cannot give up on this fight now, we should always remember that once we join this crusade against illegal drugs, we are actually fighting for our children, our future," Cruz said. The antiillegal drug campaign launched by the Bulacan chapter of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines is just one of its five advocacies, which include livelihood generation, solid waste management, family planning and peace and order management. - ---