Efforts to prevent illegal drug use are pursued across various settings, from schools and workplaces to youth and community programs. Ensuring that these initiatives remain consistent in approach and grounded in evidence-based preventive education principles was the focus of the third workshop session convened by the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) through the Technical Working Group (TWG) on Drug Abuse Prevention Education (DAPE) Programs.
The delegation was headed by DDB Permanent Member – Undersecretary Abad Osit, Chair of the TWG on DAPE Programs and the Demand Reduction Committee, and included technical experts from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Department of Health (DOH) and its Health Promotion Bureau, Philippine National Police (PNP), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and ASEAN Training Center for Preventive Drug Education (ATCPDE).
The discussions examined how DAPE programs are structured and implemented across sectors, with the TWG working toward the development of a standard template for preventive education programs to help align key learning components, delivery approaches, and monitoring tools across implementing institution and program settings.
Existing programs were also revisited to strengthen key areas such as refusal and life skills, mental health awareness, and community engagement. The working likewise explored improvements in monitoring mechanisms and the development of localized learning materials to better support implementation in different communities.
Bringing together technical expertise from partner agencies involved in public health, social services, law enforcement, labor, and local governance enabled a multi-sector review of current preventive education efforts. These exchanges contribute to the continued refinement of DAPE programs that promote informed decision-making and support safer, healthier communities.
