‘HIRE STAFF TO SAFEGUARD INFO OF DRUG SURRENDERS’

The DILG and the DDB are requiring Anti-Drug Abuse Councils to have an office, but the positions are not necessarily permanent: Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Office Chief Ivy Remedios Durano-Meca to local government units

To strengthen the Provincial Capitol’s anti-drug program, local government units (LGUs) are now mandated to establish an office for their Anti-Drug Abuse Councils (Adac).

In an interview last Feb. 13, Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Office (Cpadao) Chief Ivy Remedios Durano-Meca said this would mean that aside from a focal person, the Adacs would have a secretariat and an officer to protect the information of drug surrenderers.

“This round, based on the DILG (Department of the Interior and Local Government) and DDB (Dangerous Drugs Board) joint memorandum circular, LGUS are now mandated to make their Adacs an office. Meaning to say, naa nay gi-require nga mga (they need to hire) personnel to run the office,” she said.

At present, the Adacs in municipalities and barangays only have focal persons.

But with new indicators incorporated in the Sugbo Kontra Program, local Adacs would have to open positions for a secretariat and an officer assigned to protect the information of drug surrenderers.

“It’s still a council, but they’re (DILG and DDB) requiring the council to have an office. The positions are not necessarily permanent,” Meca said.

The Cpadao, though, has yet to conduct an inventory on LGUs that already have an office for their Adacs.

Funding support

Cpadao will train the local Adac personnel on how to incorporate the new guidelines for the Capitol’s anti-drug program.

Aside from establishing an office, Meca said another criteria they have added is the use of funds.

“We want to make sure that the LGUs, through their Madac (Municipal Anti-Drug Abuse Council), is giving financial and technical support to the Badac (Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council). The purpose (is) that we want to sustain the programs kay aware man ta nga dili gyud kaya sa barangays alone ang pag-sustain sa ilang (we’re aware that barangays are not capable of sustaining their) Badacs,” she added.

The local Adacs are also encouraged to pursue innovations aside from what is mandated of them.

The drug clearing criteria, on the other hand, will now focus on surrenderers that have completed their treatment program.

Drug surrenderers will be enrolled in a one-year community aftercare reintegration program, which will include random drug tests, skills and livelihood training and employment opportunities.