The Negros Oriental Police Provincial Office (NOrPPO) conducted a large-scale Awareness Campaign on Anti-Illegal Drugs, Road Safety, and Anti-Terrorism on May 14, 2026, at the Negros Oriental State University (NORSU) Gymnasium in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, drawing approximately 4,000 students who participated in a series of informative lectures organized by police and partner government agencies.
The activity was led by Provincial Director PCOL Timmar J. Alam of NOrPPO, with PLTCOL Ronoel G. Fungo serving as Deputy Provincial Director for Administration, and PMAJ Elpidio R. Tago-an Jr. as Chief of the Police Community Affairs and Development Unit (PCADU), which spearheaded the on-ground coordination and facilitation of the event.
Four Thousand NORSU Students Gather for Police-Led Forum
The campaign brought together roughly 4,000 students at the NORSU Gymnasium — one of the largest student-focused law enforcement awareness events held in the province in recent months. According to NOrPPO's official statement, the students actively participated in structured lectures covering three core topics: the harmful effects of illegal drugs, road safety consciousness, and vigilance against terrorism and violent extremism.
The sheer scale of the turnout underscores the breadth of the campaign's reach, with organizers from NOrPPO's PCADU unit coordinating closely with NORSU administration to mobilize the student body and provide appropriate venue facilities for the event.
The NORSU Gymnasium, a prominent venue within the state university's main campus in Dumaguete City, accommodated the large gathering, which proceeded under the joint organizational framework of participating government agencies.
NORSU, LTO, and PDEA Join NOrPPO as Partner Agencies
The awareness campaign was conducted in formal coordination with three partner institutions. NORSU was represented by Mr. Julio E. Ventoro, who serves as the university's Director of Student Affairs, NSTP Director, and Security Officer, indicating the institution's active role in facilitating and endorsing the event for its enrolled students.
The Land Transportation Office (LTO) for Negros Island Region (NIR) also participated in the activity, with Ms. Jennifer S. Bonite, Interim Chief of Operations Division of LTO NIR, representing the agency. Her participation was focused on the road safety component of the campaign, which aimed to promote responsible behavior among student commuters and future motorists.
The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) likewise sent a representative: IO Grace L. Marinduque, Chief Administrative Officer of PDEA, who participated in the anti-illegal drugs segment of the program. PDEA's involvement added an enforcement and regulatory dimension to the otherwise educational thrust of the campaign.
Anti-Illegal Drug Lectures Highlight Dangers to Youth
The anti-illegal drugs segment, coordinated with PDEA, formed a central component of the day's program. The lectures were aimed at equipping students with factual information about the physiological, psychological, and social consequences of drug use, consistent with the government's broader anti-drug campaign under the national drug prevention framework.
NOrPPO, through the PCADU, has been conducting similar awareness activities in various schools and communities across Negros Oriental as part of its community engagement mandate. The May 14 event at NORSU represents one of the unit's larger efforts specifically targeting the university-age population.
Law enforcement agencies have consistently identified youth outreach as a priority component of drug prevention strategy, recognizing that early awareness and education serve as critical deterrents against substance abuse before it becomes entrenched behavior.
Road Safety Component Led by LTO Negros Island Region
The road safety portion of the campaign, facilitated with the participation of LTO NIR, addressed the practical concerns facing young Filipinos who are approaching or have recently reached driving age, as well as those who regularly navigate public roads as pedestrians and commuters.
Key themes included adherence to traffic regulations, the dangers of distracted and impaired driving, and proper pedestrian behavior — issues that remain significant public safety concerns in both urban centers like Dumaguete City and the wider road network across Negros Oriental.
LTO NIR's involvement also served an informational function, providing students with authoritative guidance on licensing requirements, road user responsibilities, and the legal consequences of traffic violations, according to the NOrPPO statement.
Anti-Terrorism Awareness Sessions Target Violent Extremism
The third major component of the campaign addressed anti-terrorism awareness and vigilance against violent extremism — a topic that has become an increasingly standard feature of community-oriented police engagements in the Philippines, particularly in areas identified under national internal security frameworks.
The lectures were designed to help students recognize early warning signs of radicalization, understand the legal framework governing anti-terrorism efforts in the country, and know the appropriate channels through which to report suspicious activities to authorities.
NOrPPO's inclusion of anti-terrorism awareness as a core topic in a student forum reflects the national directive to integrate community-based early warning and vigilance programs into civilian education and engagement activities, consistent with the government's Comprehensive National Counterterrorism Plan.
NOrPPO Cites Youth Empowerment as Campaign Cornerstone
In its official statement, NOrPPO described the May 14 campaign as a reaffirmation of the commitment of law enforcement and its partner agencies to "empowering the youth through proactive education and awareness programs geared towards building a safe, drug-free, peaceful, and resilient community."
The statement attributed leadership of the campaign to Provincial Director PCOL Timmar J. Alam, with PLTCOL Ronoel G. Fungo and PMAJ Elpidio R. Tago-an Jr. providing direct supervision and operational oversight through the PCADU framework, the unit specifically mandated to handle police-community relations and public awareness programming.
The phrase "Bagong PNP para sa Bagong Pilipinas: Serbisyong Mabilis, Tapat at Nararamdaman" — the current campaign slogan of the Philippine National Police — was cited in connection with the event, positioning the awareness drive within the PNP's national service reform and community engagement agenda.
PCADU Unit Drives Community Engagement Programming in Province
The Police Community Affairs and Development Unit, which took the lead in organizing the May 14 event, is the NOrPPO sub-unit specifically tasked with developing and implementing community-oriented policing programs across Negros Oriental. Its mandate encompasses outreach to schools, barangays, and community organizations.
PCADU-led activities such as the NORSU campaign form part of a broader provincial effort to build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve — a priority that has gained renewed emphasis under the PNP's current national leadership direction.
The participation of NORSU, one of the largest state universities in Negros Oriental, as the host institution for the May 14 event represents a significant institutional partnership, enabling NOrPPO to reach a concentrated and educationally strategic segment of the province's youth population in a single organized activity.
Campaign Part of Ongoing Provincial Police-Community Programs
NOrPPO has not indicated whether additional awareness campaign sessions of similar scale are planned in the coming weeks, though the PCADU regularly conducts outreach activities on a rolling basis throughout the calendar year across the various municipalities and cities of Negros Oriental.
The involvement of multiple government agencies — NOrPPO, NORSU, LTO NIR, and PDEA — in the May 14 activity reflects an inter-agency coordination model that authorities have employed in similar awareness campaigns held at educational institutions elsewhere in the country.
Students and members of the public seeking more information on NOrPPO's community programs may contact the Police Community Affairs and Development Unit through official PNP Negros Oriental channels.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of NOrPPO / PNP Negros Oriental