Las Piñas City Mayor Imelda Aguilar gathered officials from the city’s 20 barangays recently for a two-day seminar to work out with a more comprehensive approach to address the problem on the use and abuse of illegal and prohibited drugs.
Aguilar rallied members of the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (Badac) to prove their commitment to rid the communities of illegal drugs.
Aguilar directed the Las Piñas Anti Drug Abuse Council and Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council to implement a holistic approach in dealing with drug dependents. This will cover a community-based approach by encouraging drug users/dependents to avail themselves of programs, such as providing livelihood and skills seminars, organized healthy lifestyle activity and faith-based counseling.
The mayor said the use of illegal drugs is a serious threat to well-being, health and national security. The continuous proliferation of prohibited and illegal drugs is a hindrance to the over all development of the country, she added.
Aguilar stressed that the activation of Badac will ensure that there is a convergence of efforts among barangay leaders to carry out the anti-illegal drugs campaign in the community level, citing that as the first line of defense, barangay chairmen should lead the fight against illegal drugs.
On top of the medical and psychological intervention, the mayor said Badac will conduct a weekly “rehabilitation/prevention program” for illegal-drug users.
Under this activity, Aguilar expressed hope that illegal-drug dependents will come out in the open to seek help, and avail themselves the government’s rehabilitation program, counseling and physical activities to totally free them from the vice and lead a new life.
Aguilar also urged barangay officials to conduct strict monitoring of illegal-drug activities in their respective jurisdiction and closely coordinate with the local police to ensure peace and order in their area by ridding the drug menace.
Meanwhile, Vice Mayor Luis Bustamante, head of Las Piñas Anti-Drug Abuse Council, urged Badac officials to strengthen the information and education campaign on illegal-drug demand reduction and monitor the disposition of drug-related cases filed.
He said being frontliners in ensuring the overall peace and security situation in the community, barangay officials must be proactive in implementing the laws as their mandate, including the campaign against illegal drugs as reiterated by no less than President Duterte in his recent State of the Nation Address.