Efforts to address the drug situation become most meaningful when national policies are understood and applied within communities. In Mandaue City, this direction was carried forward through the Community-Based Anti-Illegal Drugs Advocacy (CBAIDA) Trainers’ Training, a capacity-building engagement that brought together local implementers, enforcement partners, and community representatives to strengthen community-based drug prevention initiatives.
The activity was led by the City of Mandaue through its Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Office (SAMHSO), with support from national government agencies. The Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) participated by providing technical inputs and resource speakers, ensuring that the discussions were aligned with existing legal and policy frameworks. Central to these were Republic Act No. 9165, which defines the country’s approach to drug prevention and control, and Executive Order No. 66, Series of 2018, which institutionalizes a unified national strategy.
Other key partners included the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), which contributed operational and program perspectives, alongside local government units and members of Anti-Drug Abuse Councils who are directly involved in implementation at the community level.
The sessions were structured to bridge policy and practice. Participants were guided through the national anti-drug strategy, the role of communities in prevention, and core prevention approaches. Discussions also covered workplace-based prevention through drug-free workplace policies, the science of addiction, legal provisions on drug-related offenses, and the processes supporting reintegration and aftercare. These were complemented by planning exercises and communication sessions to help participants translate concepts into concrete community programs.
What emerges from engagements of this kind is a clearer division of roles. National agencies provide policy direction, standards, and technical guidance, while local stakeholders carry forward implementation based on the realities within their communities. This reinforces a coordinated approach where programs are guided by law and sustained through local leadership and participation.
Patuloy na nakikipagtulungan ang DDB sa mga lokal na pamahalaan at iba’t ibang sektor upang matiyak na ang mga polisiya ay naipapatupad nangmaayos sa komunidad. Sa ganitong paraan, ang kaalaman ay nagiging konkretong aksyon, at ang sama-samang pananagutan ay nagigingpundasyon ng mas ligtas at mas malusog na lipunan.
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