LGUs tasked: Prepare anti-drug plans
The Department of the Interior and Local Government is urging the local government units to formulate their own local anti-drug plan of action or LADPA and barangay anti-drug plan of action that responds to the needs of their localities.
LADPA/BADPA is anchored on Republic Act 9165 or the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 which embodies the national government’s commitment to eradicating the country’s illegal drugs problem.
DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. said LGUs must include in their plans initiatives and efforts that will strengthen their campaign against illegal drugs and specify programs and activities that shall be given budget allocation in their respective annual budget relative to anti-illegal drug efforts.
“The local Sanggunian shall appropriate the fund for the enforcement of the anti-illegal drug initiatives included in the LADPA and BADPA,” Abalos said.
“our anti-illegal drugs campaign takes a whole-of -government approach which would only be efficient if we are able to execute plans such as LADPA and BAPDA down at the grassroots. It is imperative that our LGUs work with us and draft their respective LADPAs and BADPAs in the barangays,” he added.
In DILG Memorandum circular 2022-141, Abalos encouraged provincial and city/ municipal local chief executives to formulate their 2023-2025 LADPA within their first 200 days in office, specifying their anti-illegal drug programs and activities based on their localities’ drug situation.
He said the LADPA shall include the anti-illegal drugs situation of the locality for accurate decision-making; priority anti-illegal drugs issues and challenges, prioritizing supply and demand reduction; objectives to address the local issues and challenges; critical policies, programs, projects, services and activities for the anti-illegal drugs issues; and, funding requirements of the PPPSAs.
The LADPA shall also include the physical and financial accomplishment reports of the existing LADPA.
Abalos also urged BADAcs to prepare their three -year BADPA that includes the formulated strategies, identified projects and funding requirements.