For individuals navigating substance use disorders, support may come from different points along the way through healthcare providers, local governments, social welfare services, community-based interventions, and, in some cases, the justice system. While each institution serves a distinct role, their collective efforts often influence the continuity and effectiveness of treatment, rehabilitation, and reintegration.
This shared responsibility was the focus of the 2026 Regionwide Stakeholders’ Consultative Meeting on the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Persons Who Use Drugs (PWUDs) – Batch 3, convened in Ilocos Norte through the partnership of the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) and the Department of Health Treatment and Rehabilitation Center (DOH-TRC) La Union.
Building on the gains of previous consultative meetings, this batch provided an opportunity to further deepen engagement with the justice sector by bringing together Regional Trial Court judges and clerks of court alongside representatives from local governments, healthcare institutions, law enforcement agencies, parole and probation offices, and social welfare agencies. The discussions explored how legal processes, health services, and community-based interventions can complement one another in supporting individuals throughout rehabilitation and reintegration.
Representing the DDB, Deputy Executive Director for Administration – Assistant Secretary Ma. Victoria Sorne emphasized that treatment and rehabilitation remain indispensable pillars of the country’s drug strategy. She highlighted the importance of ensuring that legal processes complement evidence-based health interventions and that public institutions remain responsive to the realities faced by communities and families.
Throughout the consultation, participants addressed practical concerns encountered on the ground, including patient referral systems, cost-sharing arrangements, drug dependency examinations, rehabilitation monitoring, community-based rehabilitation services, and the use of data in supporting drug-clearing efforts. Beyond addressing technical and procedural concerns, the discussions examined how decisions made within one institution can influence outcomes in another, highlighting opportunities for stronger alignment across the systems that support recovery.
Technical discussions from the DDB’s Legal Affairs Division further clarified the legal foundations governing voluntary treatment and rehabilitation under Republic Act No. 9165 and the Community-Based Drug Rehabilitation Program. The session provided participants with a clearer understanding of the legal frameworks that guide treatment pathways and the corresponding roles and responsibilities of institutions involved in their implementation.
One theme that consistently emerged throughout the discussions is that effectiveness of rehabilitation depends not only on the availability of services but also on how well those services connect with one another.
Sa bawat maayos na referral, bawat serbisyong naibibigay sa tamang panahon, at bawat pagkakataong maibalik ang isang tao sa kanyang pamilya at komunidad, mas napagtitibay ang layunin ng rehabilitasyon—ang pagbibigayng pagkakataon para sa paggaling, pagbabago, at panibagong simula.
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