Barangay San Antonio in Pasig City was chosen by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNOCD) to hold a pilot run of its “Strengthening Family Relationship” program against illegal drug use.
The program aims to bridge gaps and foster bonds between parents and their children against drug use and crime.
The UNOCD program is coordinated locally by the Pasig City Anti-Drug Abuse Office (PCADAO), and the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (BADAC).
The pilot run will have three Saturday sessions.
The first session was conducted on Sept. 17. It will continue on Sept. 24, and conclude on Oct. 1.
PCADAO personnel gave orientations and lectures on topics such as proper communication, intervention, and counseling to improve or maintain healthy family relations in case of drug addiction, or the like.
The first session was attended solely by parents. In the next sessions, the parents will be joined by their children.
Representatives from the Quezon City Anti-Drug Abuse Council went to facilitate the sessions.
In support of the event, Barangay San Antonio Chairman Thomas Raymond Lising, and Barangay Captain Evan Rupisan joined the sessions.
Pasig City has remained firm in its programs to curb illegal drug use, especially among the youth.
The local government, through PCADAO, continues to implement the “SAGIP community-based drug rehabilitation program.”
The rehab program focuses on psychological interventions for persons who used drugs (PWUDs).
PCADAO has implemented the rehab program in four barangays — Malinao, Sto. Tomas, Bagong Ilog, and San Joaquin.
They also conduct “moral and spiritual interventions” through the “Simula ng Pag-Asa (SIPAG)” initiative.
The sessions for these interventions were done last Aug. 18 and 19. It will continue on Oct. 20 and 21.