As one of the primary agencies responsible for the facilitation of the government’s National Drug Rehabilitation Program (NDRP), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) continues to capacitate families as the lead support in the rehabilitation and prevention of drug abuse in the Philippines.

The social welfare agency’s field office (FO) in MIMAROPA recently spearheaded a three-day Strategic Planning for the Implementation of Completed Social Technology Project on Family Drug Abuse Prevention Program (FDAPP) in Abra De Ilog, Occidental Mindoro.

FDAPP is a community-based prevention program which was created based on provisions of Republic Act No. 9165 or the “Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002” which aims to educate and empower families and their members as well as communities against the adverse effects of drug abuse and addiction.

The FDAPP also aims to equip families with parenting and life skills towards a drug-free home since it views the social unit as primarily responsible for education and awareness on Drug Abuse Prevention.

“We conducted the strategic planning in order to better understand the context of drug addiction problem in Abra De Ilog and to develop a logical framework for the FDAPP of the province,” explained Josephine B. Macalagay, Social Technology Unit Head of DSWD-MIMAROPA.

Nine barangays from Abra de Ilog took part in the strategic planning, namely Amado, Balao, Cabacao, Poblacion, Lumang Bayan, Wawa, San Vicente, Tibag and Udala.

Aside from the DSWD, the activity also involved inputs from the local government of Abra de Ilog, non-government organizations (NGOs), and national government agencies (NGAs ), namely: Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Philippine National Police (PNP), and Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB).

Convergence strategy for ‘War on Drugs’

Meanwhile, DSWD Secretary Judy M. Taguiwalo stressed the need for stronger coordination among national and local government agencies for the government’s anti-drugs campaign, especially in the conduct of the three pillars of intervention for drug surrenderers.

These pillars are: Center-based Rehabilitation Program, Community-based Rehabilitation Program, and the Aftercare, Aftercare, Reintegration and Transformation Support for Recovering Drug Dependents which is spearheaded by the DSWD with several other national government agencies (NGAs).

“The DSWD management strongly supports the convergence of government programs and policies to help rehabilitate drug surrenders and prevent the proliferation of illegal drugs in the country,” she said.

“We are exerting all efforts to empower communities around the country to be able to assist us in providing after care services such as detoxification, training opportunities, psychosocial programs and other types of assistance and interventions to surrenderers to become productive citizens,” she added.

“But most importantly, the government, in partnership with its citizens, should continue to support the recovery process of surrenderers and become consistent in all its programs and interventions for them because we want to help our people to be able to defend themselves from illegal drugs. We want to protect our families and communities, and we want to help Filipinos who have become victims of drug abuse to recover and start new and better lives,” the social welfare chief said.

Hilom Bayan

Aside from support in the NDRP, the Department is set to pilot the “Hilom Bayan”, a community-based drug rehabilitation program funded by the office of President Rodrigo R. Duterte.

The program targets mild to moderate cases of drug abuse and is set to be launched in the following regions: Central Luzon, CALABARZON, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula, SOCCSKSARGEN, and the National Capital Region (NCR).  ###