LGUs, villages told to prepare own anti-drug action plans

Abalos also urged BADACs to prepare their three-year BADPA that including the formulated strategies, identified projects and funding requirements. (File Photo: DILG Philippines/Facebook)

MANILA – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Thursday urged local government units (LGUs) to formulate their local anti-drug plan of action (LADPA) and barangay anti-drug plan of action (BADPA) that responds to the needs of their localities.

Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. said this is part of the implementation of a whole-of-nation approach to eliminate illegal drugs in the country.

The 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.

Abalos said LGUs must include in their LADPA/BADPA 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 budgets relative to anti-illegal drug efforts.

“The local Sanggunian (council) shall appropriate the fund for the enforcement of the anti-illegal drug initiatives included in the LADPA and BADPA. 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,” Abalos said in a statement.

In DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2022-141, Abalos encouraged provincial and city/municipal local chief executives (LCEs) 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 (PPPSAs) 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.

Through this, Abalos said LGUs can significantly contribute to the BIDA program, the revitalized anti-drug advocacy campaign of the government that aims to reduce drug demand in the communities by harnessing the support of LGUs, national government agencies (NGAs), private sectors, faith-based organizations (FBOs), and civil society organizations (CSOs).

“Ang focus natin ngayon ay pakikiisa ng lahat sa laban sa iligal na droga hanggang sa grassroots, katulad din ng rating ‘Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan’ or BIDA Program. Inaasahan po namin ang pakikiisa ninyo sa ating hangaring tuldukan ang iligal na droga sa bansa (Our focus right now is everyone’s contribution in the fight against illegal drugs up to the grassroots, just like our “Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Ayawan” or BIDA Program. We are looking forward to your cooperation in our desire to end illegal drugs in the country),” the Interior Secretary stressed.

Abalos also urged BADACs to prepare their three-year BADPA that including the formulated strategies, identified projects and funding requirements.

The planning and submission of LADPA shall be until December 2022, while the encoding of the approved action plan shall proceed from January to March 2023.

Likewise, the preparation and submission of BADPA and its approval shall take place from January to May 2023.