BARANGAY functionaries and stakeholders of Poblacion and Talomo District gathered during the two-day Training of Trainers on Barangay Drug Clearing, Advocacy, and Drug-Free Workplace on November 22-23, 2023 at the Catalunan Grande Barangay Hall.
The training was organized by the Philippine Drug Enforcement and Agency (PDEA), in partnership with the City Anti Drug Abuse Council (CADAC), and Barangay Catalunan Grande, and gathered 93 participants composed of barangay officials, police officers from Talomo and Poblacion Police stations, academe, and stakeholders from 54 barangays of the First Congressional District.
CADAC Technical Adviser for Drug Prevention Pastor Wendell P. Tolibas, in an interview with the City Information Office during the event, said that the main purpose of the training is to maintain the sustainability of drug clearing in barangays.
“Naay barangay sa Davao City sa First District, Second District, and Third District nga drug cleared na siya. Ang purpose ani kadtong wala pa matabangan and kadtong drug cleared ma-sustain ang activity nila nga mapadayon nga drug cleared ilahang barangay (There are barangays in Davao City, in the First District, Second District, and Third district that are already drug cleared. The purpose of this is that those that are not yet cleared will be assisted and those that are already drug-cleared will be able to sustain their activities and their barangay will remain drug-cleared),” Tolibas said.
The training highlighted the documentary requirements needed to be accomplished by barangays to be declared Drug Cleared and Drug-Free. The participants were given inputs on the application and validation requirement and the composition of the approving body–the Regional Oversight Committee on the Barangay Drug Clearing Program (ROCDCP). The drug-cleared/drug-free is also not permanent, this status may be revoked if requirements are not met after validation.
Drug Cleared Barangays are those classified as previously drug-affected, subjected to the Barangay Drug Clearing Program (BDCP), and declared cleared by ROCDCP. To be drug-cleared, documentation that the identified persons in the barangay watchlist were given general interventions and community drug rehabilitation programs implemented in the community is required.
Meanwhile, a Drug-Free Barangay is an unaffected barangay, meaning, it is a barangay that has never been plagued by any Person Who Use Drugs (PWUDs), drug den maintainers, coddler protectors, financiers, cultivators, manufacturers, others, and illegal drug activities.
On the advocacy part, the participants were given inputs on national and local drug situation, basic concepts of illegal drugs, their routes of administration and ill effects; orientation on Drug-Free Workplace Program, Republic Act 9165 Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and the Dangerous Drugs Board Board Regulation No.4 Series of 2021- Sustaining the Implementation of Barangay Drug Clearing Program (BDCP) and Repealing for such purpose Board Regulation No. 3, Series of 2017.
PDEA XI Regional Director Naravy D. Duquiatan, in her speech, said that the aim of the training is for the trainees, as force multipliers to help promote awareness about illegal drugs and rehabilitation programs and to cut the demand for its use, complementing the supply reduction achieved by operations of the PDEA and Philippine National Police (PNP).
Tolibas also added that participants, hopefully, will be able to relay to their constituents the inputs given to them.
“Kaning mga naka training mabalik nila sa community, mahatag nila unsa’y angay buhaton, unsaon pag identify, unsa ang mga way nga muabot ang droga, and makahatag sila’g information sa mga bag-o nga drugs (Those who were able to attend this training can share the inputs on what to do, how to identify, and check the modes of delivery of drugs, and they can also give information on new kinds of drugs),” Tolibas said. CIO