NBSC and Brgy. Tankulan Launch # Lig-on Initiative: A New, Science-Based Approach to Youth Drug Prevention

NBSC AND BRGY. TANKULAN LAUNCH # LIG-ON INITIATIVE: A NEW, SCIENCE-BASED APPROACH TO YOUTH DRUG PREVENTION

Northern Bukidnon State College (NBSC) and the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (BADAC) of Barangay Tankulan officially concluded the Grand Kick-off of the # Lig-on Initiative on July 24, 2026. The landmark event, held at the NBSC Covered Court, marked a shift from traditional, fear-based drug prevention to a trauma-informed, community-led framework designed to foster youth resilience.

The # Lig-on Initiative, a key component of the NBSC Pag-amuma Ginhawa Extension Program, brought together youth leaders, student representatives, and out-of-school youth for an intensive day of science-based learning, peer-support training, and community commitment.

Moving away from punitive messaging, the initiative focuses on the biology of resilience. Experts from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Solace Treatment and Wellness Center joined local advocates to teach participants how stress, trauma, and peer pressure physically impact the adolescent brain.

“We are not here to scare our youth; we are here to empower them with the biological ‘cheat codes’ to manage stress,” said Reynan S. Salo, the NBSC Extension Faculty spearheading the program. “By understanding their own nervous system—the ‘Window of Tolerance’—our youth can now recognize when they are in a state of distress and apply grounding techniques to avoid the impulse to seek quick, harmful fixes.”

A core feature of the Kick-off was the “Tropa Shield” Arena, where youth leaders practiced “Green Zone Refusal” skills, a method of turning down negative peer pressure while maintaining social connections. Rather than alienating their friends, participants were trained to act as “co-regulators,” using their own calm presence to help stabilize peers during moments of anxiety or pressure.

The event culminated in a powerful “Lig-on Pledge,” where youth leaders formed a physical “Tropa Shield” formation, swearing to protect one another from substance use. This commitment was met with a formal promise from the parents and local leaders present, who vowed to serve as the community foundation, ensuring that the youth’s aspirations remain safe and vice-free.

“This is not just a one-day event,” noted Hon. Kag. Alan A. Improgo of BADAC Tankulan. “This is the start of a whole-community culture shift. With the support of NBSC, we are building a barangay where the youth are not seen as the problem, but as the active, resilient solution and community co-builder.”

The # Lig-on Initiative continues through ongoing community activities, school-based mental health support, and the establishment of local youth-led peer networks aimed at keeping the “Youth Mode ON, Drugs OFF.” Its sustained implementation shows NBSC’s capacity to develop extension initiatives that respond to emerging community needs, reinforcing its mission of delivering responsive public service through education and innovation.