Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos on Friday urged the 33 Filipino medalists at the recent 19th Asian Games in China to serve as ambassadors of the government's flagship anti-illegal drugs advocacy program "Buhay Ingatan, Droga'y Ayawan" (BIDA).

The call was made by Abalos to encourage and inspire more Filipino youth to focus on sports and other healthy and productive activities and turn away from the scourge of illegal drugs.

Abalos appealed as he joined President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. during the "Gabi ng Parangal at Pasasalamat sa Bayaning Atletang Pilipino" ceremony held at the Rizal Memorial Stadium.

"Inaanyayahan namin kayo na makibahagi at tumulong sa programang BIDA bilang mga ambassador. Kayo ang magiging boses ng BIDA para himukin ang mga kabataan na maging aktibo sa sports at ayawan ang droga," he said.

Abalos said the 33 Filipino athletes who brought home medals from the recent 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China can serve as positive and effective role models for the Filipino youth, "as they have shown that engaging in sports can both be rewarding and beneficial for one's health and well-being".

"One of the strategies of the BIDA program is to promote health and wellness activities to encourage people, especially the youth to lead healthy lives. At nakakasigurado ako na malaki ang maitutulong ng ating mga atletang Pilipino sa bagay na ito," he said.

For his part, President Marcos said that the victorious Filipino athletes made the country proud and boosted the morale of the entire nation.

"To our hardworking coaches, the leaders of various sports associations, and of course, to our athletes, congratulations. On behalf of a proud and grateful nation, I salute and recognize the excellent performances that you displayed in the 19th Asian Games," he said after conferring Presidential Citation Awards to the medalists.

He also promised to increase the national government's funding support for the athletes going forward, in pursuit of achieving better results in future international competitions.