DAVAO ORIENTAL – With its relentless battle against illegal drugs through various anti-drug abuse programs, the Province of Davao Oriental has been hailed as the only province in the country awarded with a Gold Performance in the campaign against drugs.
Governor Nelson Dayanghirang personally received the award from no less than Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año during the department’s 1st National Anti-Drug Abuse Council (ADAC) Performance Awards held in Manila last December 26, which aimed at recognizing the local government units who have complemented the national government’s measures to eradicate the country’s illegal drugs problem.
Out of the 241 outstanding Local Government Units (LGUs) who were given the awards because of their exemplary efforts through their respective Anti-Drug Abuse Council (ADAC), Davao Oriental emerged as one of the 21 LGUs and the only one province who garnered a perfect score of 100 based on the functionality indicators that were used to score and measure the functionality of provincial, city and municipal ADACs.
The 21 LGUs will each receive P250,000 as incentive, while all of the 241 awardees received a plaque of recognition.
“The National ADAC Performance Award is given to LGUs that achieved an adjectival rating of Ideal (high functionality) based on the 2017 ADAC Performance Audit. Through DILG Memorandum Circular 2018-159, the DILG announced the implementation of the 2017 ADAC Performance Audit to ensure the continued performance of the ADACs using audit criteria such as organized local ADAC; implementation of ADAC Plans and Programs; fund allocation; support to ADACs in component LGUs; and conduct of quarterly meetings,” says the DILG.
Provincial Anti -Drug Abuse Council Action Officer and Provincial Administrator Art Benjie Bulaong, said that the Provincial Government’s anti-drug abuse program dubbed as Lihok- Nagkahiusang Lumulupyo Kontra Droga, the localized version of the Community-Based Rehabilitation and Aftercare Program (CBRAP) has been one of the effective venues to streamline all efforts in the fight against illegal drugs.
The program’s comprehensive approach taps all interventions available from all agencies and sectors, including the peace, health, youth, religious, and media sectors, among others.
The program resulted to 73 out of 79 drug-affected barangays in the province declared as drug-cleared by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). All 10 municipalities of the province have also been declared as drug-cleared.
Since 2017, a total of 8,686 drug-users have surrendered while the province’s CBRAP has enrolled a total of 5,564 individuals. A total of 1,958 have graduated from the program.
Aside from the education campaigns, prevention workshops, and various social programs, the province also established last year Davao Region’s first drug reformation center initiated by a Local Government Unit called Balay Silangan Bagong Bahay Para sa Bagong Buhay Drug Reformation Center.
Governor Dayanghirang said that collaboration is a critical component of the province’s efforts as he vowed his commitment to further strengthen his province’s campaign against the drug menace.
