COMMITMENT TO FIGHT DRUGS. Dangerous Drugs Board Chairman Secretary Catalino S. Cuy (standing 4th from left) flashes the thumbs up sign together with Calabarzon Police Regional Director Chief Supt. Edward Carranza (2nd from left), Columba City Mayor Justin Marc SB Chipeco (3rd left); Laguna 2nd District Rep. Joaquin M. Chipeco Jr. (on Sec. Cuy’s left); Dr. Raquel P. Tolentino, in-country coordinator of Community Anti-Drug Coalition in America (CADCA) and AADAC Philippines Chair, city officials and the officers (holding the banners) of the youth movement against illegal drugs. Secretary Cuy was guest of honor and keynote speaker at the Community Anti-Drug Coalition of Calamba City (CADCC) first Anniversary Celebration and Oath-taking of officers and members of the Kabataang Ayaw sa Droga sa Columba City (KADCC) at the LLC Auditorium, Calamba Elementary School on Saturday (Aug. 11, 2018). (Photo by Saul E. Pa-a)
CALAMBA CITY, Laguna -- Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) Chairman Catalino S. Cuy on Saturday commended the Community Anti-Drug Coalition of Calamba City (CADCC) for coordinating with the city government in curbing the drug menace in various communities here.
Secretary Cuy graced the first founding anniversary of the community-based anti-illegal drugs organization and lauded its first milestone year saying, “its a testament of your unwavering support to the present administration’s relentless war against illegal drugs” by engaging the city’s various communities and multi-sectors.
“Natutuwa po kami na merong ganitong activity, at ito po ang aming gustong puntahan kasi (We are pleased with this kind of activity and this is what we would like to attend because) it shows the support of the community to the efforts of the government to address persistent drug problem,” Cuy said.
Cuy frequented the city in the early 1990s as a resident of nearby Biñan City, Laguna.
Cuy said the the multi-sector gathering complies with the DDB’s mandate pursuant to Republic Act 9165 or the “Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act” as a policy-making and strategy formulating body on drug prevention and control and is comprised with 17 government departments and agencies.
“The DDB is delighted as this gathering attests that policies which we have formulated from the national down to the local level are properly being implemented,” Cuy said.
He added that the government remains focused on reducing both the supply and demand for illegal drugs.
“For the past two years, we have significant accomplishments in regard to supply reduction pero meron pa tayong nakikita, naririnig sa news na meron pa tayong mga (but we still watch and hear the news that we have) confiscation of substances and most recent is the discovery of the shipment of drugs at the Customs worth more than PHP6 billion,” he said.
“The character of the activities on illegal drugs is that if there would be a slack in the activities of our operation, there is a tendency for this particular drug syndicate to make a resurgence,” Cuy said, adding that drug syndicates are only waiting for the opportunity to strike.
He encouraged various sectors and communities to be consistently vigilant in safeguarding their areas against the presence of illegal drugs and immediately report these to law enforcement agencies.
He also explained the second pillar of the government’s campaign on demand reduction on illegal drugs through public awareness on the danger of illegal drugs not only to one’s health but also to the community.
“Remember, the problem on drugs is not only to the individual kasi affected din ang pamilya niya (because the family is also affected), affected neighborhood, relatives, barangay and the presence of one drug personality in the barangay makes your barangay drug-affected whether slightly, moderately or severely,” he said.
He pointed out the government’s demand reduction approach which employs alternative development like providing means of livelihood, alternative activities as ways to get their (drug dependent/user) attention away from drugs, including rehabilitation and reintegration.
The DDB chair added that the Duterte administration’s first 24 months in the ‘war against illegal drugs” has resulted in the surrender of close to 1.3 million drug dependents, citing both government and some 49 accredited private drug rehab centers could not accommodate the surrenderers prompting government to come up with the community-based rehabilitation.
“Itong mga community-based rehabilitation, malaki ang maitutulong ng ating mga local governments (this community-based rehabilitation, our local government could help a lot) because this is the most practical and doable approach to address the problem, given the limited resources that we have,” he said.
The first step to address this community-based drug rehabilitation, he sadi, is to establish the anti-drug abuse council at all levels and the other is the peace and order council as well as tapping the this coalition and a youth sector group non-government organizations like in this city to reach out to the different communities.
“We consider the youth as the more vulnerable sector of our society on the threat of illegal drugs,” he stressed.
The National Youth Commission is also part of the board to help the youth sector which comprises more than 35 percent of the country’s population.
He added that the Department of Education and Commission on Higher Education are partners of the DDB for the in-school youths while the DSWD looks after the out-of-school youths.
He said the strategy against illegal drugs is not just the “whole of government” but rather a “whole nation” approach because government cannot do it alone thus enlisting community, public, NGOs support and engaging international and regional partners because illegal drugs is a trans-national crime.
He thanked local communities as most of the reported illegal drugs come from concerned citizens.
“Barangay leaders have a vital role to perform to maintain peace and order in their respective barangays and make them drug resistant as part of the drug clearing operations whether slightly, moderately or severely affected,” Cuy said.
He congratulated the city government and the coalition as these kind of activities as “evidence that the community-based approach and drug prevention are being adopted in the different regions and provinces across the country.”
“Indeed, it is through our shared efforts that we are able to strengthen our advocacy in averting drug dependency, as your city government, community leaders and members of the coalition of various sectors are taking the initiative to promote a safe, healthy and drug-free community,” he said.
He also urged multi-sector coalition members, city and barangay officials President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s sincerity and seriousness to promote the best interest of the citizenry with people empowerment through anti-drug causes as a top priority, citing the President’s 2018 SONA focuses on the relentless war on drugs.
“Let us continue to take this journey with the President as we hope for a drug-free Philippines in the next generation,” Cuy added. (PNA)
