PBA legends join gov’t anti-drug campaign

EXHIBITION GAME | Manila City Jail-Male Dormitory hosted a basketball game between prison inmates and Philippine Basketball Association Legends. (Photo from the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology)

MANILA, Philippines — What is the best deterrent to drug addiction in the country? For the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), it’s sports.

The DILG has continued its Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan (Bida) program almost a year since its launching by partnering with athletes to be the faces of the anti-drug campaign. Bida is the government’s intensified and whole-of-nation approach against illegal drugs.

Inmates — often referred to by the government as persons deprived of liberty (PDLs) — of the Manila City Jail-Male Dormitory (MCJ-MD) showed their basketball prowess against celebrities of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) during an exhibition game on Thursday, in celebration of the National Correctional Consciousness Week.

PBA veterans Alvin Patrimonio, Gherome Ejercito, EJ Feihl, Jerry Codiñera, Rodney Santos, and Noli Locsin tested the skills of the inmates.

The game dubbed “PBA Legends vs PDL Legends,” however, needed to be cut short in the second quarter due to the sudden downpour. The score was 52-42, in favor of the PBA team.

‘We enjoyed the game’

“We really enjoyed the game, even if it was interrupted by the rain,” the 7-foot-11 Fiehl said. “We hope that activities like these happen again for the benefit of the PDLs. They are facing a lot of problems and stress, and they may get hot-headed. Playing sports can prevent this.”

According to Chief Insp. Jayrex Bustinera, spokesperson for the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), the primary objective of the game was “to inspire and provide hope to the PDLs detained in Manila City Jail.”

“This initiative is aligned with the Bida program of the DILG,” he added.

“It underscored the importance of rehabilitation, hope, and community support in the rehabilitation of individuals within the correctional system, fostering a sense of belonging and purpose,” Bustinera said.

Supt. Lino Soriano, warden of the MCJ-MD, said the exhibition game “not only showcased the sporting prowess of PBA Legends but also served as a platform for PDL to experience a day of inspiration and hope.”

Morale booster

“This uplifting event aimed to boost the morale of the PDL and prepare them to approach the upcoming elections with a healthy and positive mindset,” he added.

A total of 31,125 prisoners under the custody of the BJMP will vote in the Oct. 30 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.

Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos urged the 33 Filipino medalists at the recent 19th Asian Games in China to serve as ambassadors of the Bida program by encouraging and inspiring more Filipino youth to focus on sports and other healthy and productive activities and turn away from the scourge of illegal drugs.