Anti-drug drama budget cut

THE Cebu City Office for Substance Abuse Prevention (Cosap) terminated the services of their drama director and 30 talents due to inadequate funding.

The City Council rejected the P3.5 million appropriation in this year’s budget for the Cosap’s drama program.

Cosap executive director Leonardo Chiu said he’s organizing drama volunteers for their anti-drug presentations.

He said talent manager and congressional candidate Anabelle Rama offered to have some of her talents perform in Cosap presentations.

“Anabelle would have wanted to offer monetary help, but Mayor Michael Rama has made it a policy for us not to accept any donations or make solicitations,” Chiu said.

Cosap organizes presentations in the barangays as part of their anti-drug campaign.

Andrew Borres, head of the barangay affairs unit, said most Cosap shows are held in barangay fiesta celebrations.

His office inspects the place where dramas will be staged.

The Cosap drama program was implemented even during the administration of former mayor Tomas Osmeña.

But Chiu told Cebu Daily News that they were no longer given funding this year.

The P3.5 million budget which they asked for this year would pay for the honorarium of their director Jun Tumulak and 30 performers who are receiving P12,000 per month.

At the end of the presentation, Chui said an evaluation process is done where in questionnaires are given to the viewers to help assess their understanding of the presentation and their views on drug addiction.

Chiu said Cosap also helps drug addicts to undergo rehabilitation.

He said they still have 1,000 drug kits for random drug testing of City Hall and barangay personnel. Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac