Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin ‘Benhur’ Abalos Jr. urged local government units (LGUs) to focus their illegal drugs campaign on the reduction of supply and the rehabilitation of the users.
He pushed for this initiative as the DILG launched on Friday, Oct. 7, a nationwide anti-illegal drugs advocacy program involving the LGUs, national government agencies (NGAs) and other key sectors of the society.
Dubbed as the ‘Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan (BIDA) (Value Life, Shun Drugs), Abalos explained that the program is in line with President’s commitment to continue the campaign against illegal drugs “within the framework of the law and with respect for human rights and with focus on rehabilitation and socio-economic development.”
He noted that the BIDA advocacy program banks on the best practices of the past DILG programs against illegal drugs and now focuses on combating the problem via demand reduction.
“The war on drugs is like a tree. Kailangan tanggalin natin ang ugat ng puno (We need to remove the root from the tree), unemployment, lack of education, the family, lahat ito para mapababa natin ang demand (all of these to reduce the demand for illegal drugs),” Abalos said.
An offshoot of the previous “BIDA ang may Disiplina Program’’, Abalos stated that BIDA calls for the support of the LGUs, partner government agencies, local stakeholders and organizations to effectively advocate drug demand reduction to all sectors of the community.
“We urge the different government agencies, the church, the school, private organizations, let us help one another on this war against drugs. Magtulungan tayo, lalo na ang kabataan. Magkaisa tayo. Labanan natin lahat ng social ills (Let us help one another, especially concerning the youth. Let us unite. Let us fight all the social ills),’’ he added.
“By raising awareness and encouraging participation from all sectors of the community in drug demand reduction, we can address the perennial problem of illegal drugs which threatens peace and order and causes crimes in communities,” Abalos continued.
The DILG chief pointed out that BIDA specifically aims to strengthen institutions in the implementation of drug reduction activities, encourage multi-sectoral participation, secure commitments from national government agencies and partner organizations, and raise awareness through information, education, and communication materials.
During the launch, a memorandum of undertaking on the BIDA program was signed by the partner national agencies and key stakeholders with the event being the hybrid of face-to-face and teleconferencing.
Present during the event are DILG officials, local chief executives from the National Capital Region (NCR), key stakeholders from the sectors of health, justice, national defense, finance, labor and employment, social welfare and development, foreign affairs, and education.
The heads of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP), Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) also graced the event.
In attendance from the religious sector were heads of different churches and faith-based groups.
The heads of the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP), the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP), the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP), the Liga ng Mga Barangay (LnB) and the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) also attended the hostilities. (Chito A. Chavez)