7 Siquijor schools join DARE pilot program

By Rizalie A. Calibo

SIQUIJOR, Oct 12 (PIA) -- At least seven schools here are participating in the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (DARE) pilot program this year.

These are the elementary schools of Banban, Candanay, Siquijor Central, Bolos, Caipilan, Assisi and Cang-alwang, all in Siquijor town. 

PO3 Dan Dindo Bation, DARE action officer, said Region VII has adopted the program only this year, following the success in General Santos City as pilot area outside Metro Manila. 

Training for teachers was started in February after which Siquijor province adopted it in August, he said, while noting the support of the provincial government in the program. 

Bation said graduation program will be on December 7, in time for the 350 pupils that are also expected to graduate this year. DARE officers from Metro Manila and General Santos will come to the island to witness the ceremony, he added. 

DARE is a school-based drug abuse prevention program from DARE America that uses modules specially designed to teach children or answer questions often posed by young students about drugs and crime. 

But prior to teaching, police officers handling the program have undergone special training in areas such as child development, classroom management, teaching techniques and communication skills, he said. 

The DARE curriculum, according to Bation, offers a one hour per week for 16 weeks consisting of 17 lessons that focus on teaching pupils the skills needed to recognize and resist social pressures, decision making, building self-esteem and choosing healthy alternative to drug use. 

The program was founded in 1983 in Los Angeles and has proven so successful that it is now implemented in 75 percent of the nation's school districts and in more than 43 countries around the world. (mbcn/RACalibo/PIA-Siquijor)