The Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) convened key inter-agency partners to continue reviewing and enhancing drug-free workplace policies and programs across the public sector, reinforcing a balanced approach that promotes employee well-being and institutional integrity.
The DDB led the review of the Guidelines for the Implementation of Drug-Free Workplace Policies and Programs in the Government Sector in a sub-committee meeting presided over by DDB Permanent Member – Undersecretary Abad Osit and attended by key representatives from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Civil Service Commission (CSC), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Central to the review is the proposed overhaul of Board Regulation No. 13, Series of 2018, moving away from the rigid one-strikepolicy to recognize that drug use is a multi-faceted public health issue that is best addressed with proper intervention and rehabilitation rather than immediate dismissal from service.
Member agencies are working closely to re-examine existing provisions and establish standardized guidelines covering National Government Agencies (NGAs), constitutional bodies, departments, bureaus, Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations (GOCCs), State University and Colleges (SUCs), Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs), and Local Government Units (LGUs). Key elements discussed include pre-employment screening, random drug testing parameters aligned with CSC Memorandum Circular No. 05 (s. 2019), Employee Assistance Programs, and Community-Based Drug Rehabilitation referral pathways.
To ensure that initiative is aligned with legal anchors and promotes operational efficiency, provisions will undergo a coordinative legal review and a dedicated workshop to fine-tune the parameters and finalize the technical details of the policy revisions for workplace drug concerns.
Succeeding sessions will continue the review toward a drug-free workplace framework that balances clear compliance standards with compassionate safeguards, ensuring that prevention, rehabilitation, and public service integrity remain aligned with national drug control directives.
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