Youths speak out vs drug abuse through spoken poetry

By Lyndon Plantilla

QUEZON CITY, July 22 — The Spoken Poetry Contest, organized by the Mimaropa Regional Inter-Agency Committee on Illegal Drugs Coordinating Group – Advocacy, has 13 young performing poets explaining and interpreting the ill effects of illegal drugs via creative rhymes combined with music.

This is a way of partnering with the youth in discouraging the public from using prohibited drugs.

But the public will have the opportunity to take part in the campaign by choosing the six  best explainers (first, second and third placers) in two categories: 13-18 year olds and 19-24 year olds.

All they need to do is to watch the video entries on facebook.com/RICADCG.AdvocacyCluster4B and pick their chosen contestant based on their content, wordplay and storytelling styles by hitting the heart button.

The voting ends on July 23 at 1:00 p.m.

In general, all contestants zoomed into the damages caused by drug abuse and its undesirable effects.

For the 13-18 age group: Entry #1 Sheena Marie G. Urbano; Entry #2 Franzinne Kyrr Fradejas, Entry #3 Meja S. Mahilum; Entry #4 Stephannie N. Magbanua;  Entry #5 Marian Lucille F. Mangua; and # Entry 6 Annie Rose S. Parami.

For the 19-24 age group: Entry #1Hyna Angeles Sulayao; Entry #2 Alpha Jemaimah M. Fran; Entry #3 Ronielle M. Fuentes; Entry #4 Marjorie C. Galicha; Entry #5 Christine Stifanny Yvonne G. Mabini; Entry #6 Jessica Villar; and Entry #7 Julien Christine Andres. 

Meanwhile, data from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (from July 1, 2016 to May 31, 2021) showed 3, 736 children ages 4-17 years old were rescued from drug bust operations.

But out of that number, 2,180 were allegedly pushers and 412 were allegedly drug users. Philippine Information Agency