City and Municipal Local Government Operations Officers (C/MLGOOs) together with the DILG Anti-Drug Abuse Council (ADAC) Focal Persons, DILG Outcome and Program Managers of Region XIII - Caraga attended the Roll-out Training of Philippine Anti-Illegal Drugs Strategy (PADS) Policies and Anti-Drugs Abuse System (ADAS) conducted by DILG Regional Office XIII - Caraga at Dottie's Place Hotel and Restaurant on October 24-25, 2022.

Regional Director Lilibeth A. Famacion, CESO III of DILG – Caragahighlighted that in addition to all the programs and the fulfillment of the deliverables in the Department, DILG Officers are also given the responsibility of being agents to combat illegal drugs by capacitating the local Anti-Drug Abuse Councils (ADACs) and disseminating relevant policies in the implementation of the Philippine Anti-Illegal Drugs Strategy (PADS).

          The policies discussed during the Roll-out Training were:

1. Guidelines on the Formulation of the Local Anti-Drug Plan of Action (LADPA) and Barangay Anti-Drug Plan of Action (BADPA)
2. Planning and Implementation Process of the:
   1. Local Anti-Drug Plan of Action (LADPA)
   2. Barangay Anti-Drug Plan of Action (BADPA)
3. Amended Guidelines of the Community-Based Drug Rehabilitation Program (CBDRP)
4. Anti-Drug Abuse System (ADAS) Policy Orientation and User Training

The first policy discussed was Formulation of the Local Anti-Drug Action Plan of LGUs for Provinces, Cities and Municipalities, including that of the Barangay was discussed in compliance to Section 51 of R.A. No. 9165, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, provides that “local government units shall appropriate a substantial portion of their respective annual budgets to assist in or enhance the enforcement of said Act giving priority to preventive or educational programs and the rehabilitation or treatment of drug dependents.” This explains why the Guidelines on the Development and Formulation of the Peace and Order and Public Safety Plan (POPS-PLAN) 2023-2025 cites illegal drugs as a mandatory sub-area under the Crime and Disorder of the Peace and Order Program. Being one of its mandatory components, LGUs must list all their anti-illegal drugs strategies and programs to be included in the POPS Plan categorized for drug demand reduction or supply reduction. This makes LADPA as a sub-component of the POPS Plan.

The second policy on Amended Guidelines of CBDRP discussed and explained will capacitate the LGUs in the establishment of their respective “Community Based Drug Rehabilitation Program” (CBDRP) and ensures its accreditation by the Department of Health (DOH). It also provides for specific guidelines and procedure to institutionalize the interventions, aftercare, and reintegration programs to all PWUDs in the barangay, city, and municipal levels.           

Lastly, the Anti-Drug Abuse System (ADAS) presented and introduced was an online platform where local government units (LGUs) report the implementation of their Community Based Drug Rehabilitation Program (CBDRP). This is to ensure the continuous improvement and performance of ADACs in the implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of anti-illegal drug activities particularly in the quarterly submission of the CBDRP report. The Anti-Drug Abuse System or ADAS will collect all reports from all LGUs for national consolidation as part of DILG's responsibility in the monitoring of LGUs' implementation of the CBDRP, which is now one of the indicatiors in the ADAC Performance Audit of the LGUs.

The Department, as a member of the Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) and Chair of the Advocacy Cluster shall ensure that the anti-illegal drug objectives of the government are achieved through capacity development, education, information campaign and other advocacy strategies. Under the Rehabilitation and Reintegration Cluster of the ICAD, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is also required to provide updates on the implementation of the Community-Based Drug Rehabilitation Program (CBDRP) to Local Government Units (LGUs).

(LGOO VI Florian Faith Jr. P. Bayawa, DILG XIII – Caraga)