GUEST COLUMNIST

By MAYOR FRANCIS ZAMORA

Allow me to give my answer by first inviting you to take a look at the big picture of the war on drugs.

Illegal drugs remains to be one of the biggest social problems in the Philippines—one major catalyst of crimes which compromises the country’s peace and order situation. One may start young because of “peer pressure” pilfering into a mother’s purse or a father’s pocket to purchase marijuana or even retailed methamphetamine. Worse, these young lives might be used as a medium for drug trafficking and manufacturing. Not to mention the violent behaviors one may exhibit when influenced by drugs.

We acknowledge the hard fact that in the Philippines, there are still drug syndicates and users who have easy access to these illegal substances. These are the things that run in my mind as mayor and as chairman of the Regional Peace and Order Council because who does not want to live in a peaceful community?

With these huge hurdles, how does a mayor achieve 100 percent of its barangays declared drug-cleared? We were able to do it in San Juan with one step in the right direction at a time.

It started with a commitment to be in the frontline of the war on drugs as mayor and as chairman of the City Anti-Drug Abuse Council. From raiding an indoor marijuana laboratory, to a shabu-buy bust in an apartment, up to a drug raid in a condominium, we remained to be a constant presence with our police and PDEA agents.

Next, we gave tall orders to our barangay officials and law enforcers, while at the same time incentivizing their laudable efforts.

We also solicited the support of concerned citizens to report drug-related activities in their neighborhood. That successful indoor marijuana laboratory raid would not have been possible without concerned San Juaneños who gave us crucial tips about the suspicious activities going on in that building.
To strengthen what we have spearheaded in the City, we partnered with international and national civil society and faith-based organizations to have a holistic approach in dealing with the drug menace. As proof of our strong partnership with CSOs and FBOs, the San Juan City Government hosted the launch of the revitalized KASIMBAYANAN (Kapulisan, Simbahan, at Mamamayan), a synergized multi-sectoral and non-denominational partnership between the general public, religious sector and the Philippine National Police in November 2022 which continued to March 2023 when we opened the doors of the city for the first-ever KASIMBAYANAN Volunteers Congress at the FilOil EcoOil Centre.

Through a Memorandum of Understanding we signed with USAID RenewHealth, we institutionalized our holistic interventions for Persons Who Use Drugs wherein we offer a fast application process for PWUDs enrolling in our community-based drug rehabilitation and general intervention programs.

All the steps we undertook paid off, when in February this year, San Juan City was declared by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency as the first city in Metro Manila wherein 100% of its barangays are drug-cleared.

We are developing new programs that will provide incentives for PWUDs to help sustain their gains against drugs, as well as livelihood opportunities for them to have a smooth reintegration back into our community.

In our pipeline also is the construction of our new and modern “Balay Silangan” Drug Reformation Center.

For preventive measures, we have continuing sports and wellness programs. As a former athlete, I know the importance of living a healthy lifestyle which we advocate to our people. We also conduct mental health fora for our youth in partnership with my dear Mayora Keri’s Caring Keri Foundation and other NGOs.

On a national scale, the San Juan LGU is a staunch supporter of the BIDA Program of DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos and President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr’s administration and its holistic approach in dealing with illegal drugs.

As chairman of the Regional Peace and Order Council, I take to heart the big responsibility of keeping the estimated 14 million Metro Manila residents safe in and out of their homes. That is why, just as San Juan remains to be the city with the lowest crime volume in NCR, and just as our city maintains having 100 percent of its barangays drug-cleared, rest assured that in my capacity as RPOC chairman and Metro Manila council president, I am committed to do all I can in achieving more Metro Manila barangays to be declared drug-cleared.

(Mayor Francis Zamora of the City of San Juan is the president of the Metro Manila Council, the chairman of the Regional Peace and Order Council, the vice chairman of the Regional Development Council, and the regional representative of the National Capital Region in the League of Cities of the Philippines.)