The theme this year, “People First: Stop Stigma and Discrimination, Strengthen Prevention”, aims to raise awareness about the importance of treating Persons Who Used Drugs (PWUDs) with respect and empathy; providing evidence-based, voluntary services for all; offering alternatives to punishment; prioritizing prevention; and serving with compassion.

In collaboration with the National Capital Region’s (NCR) Local Government Unit Anti-Drug Abuse Councils (LGU-ADACs), the DDB conducted the “Inter-LGU Friendly Mini Olympics Towards Drug-Free Lifestyles”, that brought together various stakeholders from the local government and non-government agencies at the Amoranto Sports Complex, Quezon City.

DDB Secretary Catalino S. Cuy said, “As the lead policy making and strategy formulating body on drug prevention and control, the Dangerous Drugs Board recognizes the importance of a humanistic approach to address the evolving challenges on illegal drugs. DDB responds to this call by sustaining an evidence-based approach to enhance the government’s anti-drug strategy and campaign that puts emphasis on prevention, education, rehabilitation, and reintegration guided by Filipino’s core values of malasakit and pagkalinga.”

Promoting an active and healthy lifestyle away from drug abuse, the inter-agency sports event afforded the Persons Who Use Drugs (PWUDs) enrolled in the Community Based Drug Rehabilitation Program (CBDRP) to engage in friendly games like three-point basketball shootouts, sprint relays, badminton matches, table tennis competitions, and darts games.

Present in the event were Quezon City Vice Mayor Gian Carlo G. Sotto, PDEA Director General Moro Virgilio Lazo and PDEA service directors, representatives from DOJ, Parole and Probation Administration, Department of Defense, Bureau of Immigration, Department of Interior and Local Government, Department of Agriculture, TESDA, ASEAN-TCPDE, National Youth Commission, Bureau of Fire Prevention, Public Attorney’s Office, PADS-PMO, Office of Civilian Security, National Mapping and Resource Information, Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, and Bureau of Corrections.

(from left to right: Amoranto AO Martin Manese, DDB Usec. Earl P. Saavedra, CESO I, PAOCC Usec. Gilberto DC Cruz, DDB Sec. Catalino S. Cuy, PDEA Dir. Gen. Virgilio Moro Lazo, DOJ Atty. Victor Enrique G. Bolinao, NYC Executive Director Leah Villalon, DDB Asec. Maria Belen Angelita G. Matibag)