As Pasig City strives to implement its anti-illegal drugs advocacies, the city’s Anti-Drug Abuse Office (PCADAO) held “drug-free workplace” seminars for local government employees in March and April.
Sessions were scheduled for four batches of city hall personnel last March 29 at the 3rd floor of the Pasig City Police Headquarters, and on April 12, 14, and 18 at the Tanghalang Rizal.
This is in line with Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto’s aim of focusing on drug rehabilitation and aftercare programs for drug users in the city.
“Babalikan natin ang programa para sa "drug-free workplace." Dadagdagan din natin ang suporta sa PNP para sa mga ops (We will go back to our program promoting a "drug-free workplace." We will also increase our support to the Philippine National Police (PNP) in its anti-illegal drugs operations),” Sotto said in a social media post last January.
(PCADAO / MANILA BULLETIN)
The seminars aim to inform and discourage drug use by local government employees in order to keep the city hall a “drug-free workplace” in the city.
Through the discussions, participants were also urged to share the lessons they have learned, apply them in their personal and professional lives, and become active advocates of the anti-illegal drugs campaign in Pasig.
Around 462 members of the Peace and Order Department participated in the discussions.
The seminars were attended by City Councilors Simon Romulo Tantoco and Volta Delos Santos, City Administrator Jeronimo Manzanero, Pasig Police Chief Col. Celerino Sacro Jr., Eastern Police District (EPD) Director Brig. Gen. Wilson Asueta, and PCADAO Officer-in-Charge Zenaida Concepcion.
Among the speakers at the events were Chief Trainer Santaner Iray from Drug Check Philippines, Training Specialist Nelia Latoga-Fiecas, Registered Social Worker (RSW) and Promotion Officer Liane Angelica Kalakas, both from the Training and Information Division of the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB); Supervising Administrative Officer Paulo Victor Daculla from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), and Edwin Correa, a representative of the Human Resource and Development Office (HRDO) of the city.
The speakers lent their knowledge and expertise in regards to preventing the use of illegal drugs and raising awareness oo the varying psycho-social and health impacts of drug use to individuals.
The participants were also lectured on anti-illegal drugs laws such as Republic Act No. 9165 or the “Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002,” including the national drug situation and the common violated provisions of the law.
(PCADAO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Last March 7 to 8, the local government and PDEA also conducted its first training of trainers for the Barangay Drug Clearing Program (BDCP) at the Pasig City Hall.
PCADAO had previously worked with PDEA to implement and institutionalize its Drug-Free Workplace Program (DFWP) in compliance with DDB policies and regulations for the local government sector. In a workshop last November and December 2022, officers from PCADAO and other departments in the local government were informed by PDEA trainers about the National Anti Drug Strategy and Drug Free Workplace policy and programs.
Participants were trained particularly on Sections 7 and 10 of the DDB Regulation No. 4, series of 2021 in regards to implementing the BDCP in Pasig.
It was attended by Mayor Sotto, PDEA-National Capital Region (NCR) Assistant Regional Director Laura Nebato, City Councilors Volta Delos Santos and Buboy Agustin, together with PCADAO and the Pasig police.
The seminar was participated in by the chairmen of the 12 affected barangays including Palatiw, Sto. Tomas, Caniogan, Bambang, Sta. Lucia, Manggahan, Pinagbuhatan, Pineda, San Miguel, Kalawaan, Santolan, and Rosario, along with members of the Pasig police.
The local government, under the leadership of Mayor Sotto, has stated that it will employ a holistic approach to addressing drug use in the city and establish partnerships with civil society organizations (CSOs) and international organizations such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)’s “Community-based Drug Rehabilitation (CBDR) Program.”