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LGUs told to prepare own anti-drug plan


The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Thursday urged local government units (LGUs) to prepare their local anti-drug plan based on the situation and needs of their respective localities.

Based on DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2022-141, Interior Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. encouraged provincial and city or municipal local chief executives to formulate their 2023-2025 local anti-drug plan of action (LADPA) within their first 200 days in office.

These include their anti-illegal drug programs and activities based on their localities’ drug situation.

He said that programs and activities must be given budget allocation in their respective annual budget relative to anti-illegal drug efforts.

“Our anti-illegal drugs campaign takes a whole-of-government approach which would only be efficient if we are able to execute plans such as LAPDA and barangay anti-drug plan of action (BADPA) down at the grassroots. It is imperative that our LGUs work with us and draft their respective LADPAs and BADPAs in the barangays,” Abalos said in a statement.

“The local Sanggunian shall appropriate the fund for the enforcement of the anti-illegal drug initiatives included in the LADPA and BADPA,” he added.

Abalos said the LGUs can significantly contribute to the anti-drug advocacy campaign of the government to reduce drug demand in the communities.

“Inaasahan po namin ang pakikiisa ninyo sa ating hangaring tuldukan ang iligal na droga sa bansa,” he said.

(We look forward to your cooperation in our goal to eliminate illegal drugs in the country.)

Abalos said the LADPA shall include the anti-illegal drugs situation of the locality for accurate decision-making, priority anti-illegal drugs issues and challenges, prioritizing supply and demand reduction, objectives to address the local issues and challenges, critical policies, programs, projects, services and activities (PPPSAs) for the anti-illegal drugs issues, and funding requirements of the PPPSAs.

He also said that LADPA shall include the physical and financial accomplishment reports of the existing LADPA.

“The planning and submission of LADPA shall be until December 2022, while the encoding of the approved action plan shall proceed from January to March 2023. Likewise, the preparation and submission of BADPA and its approval shall take place from January to May 2023,” he added. — Richa Noriega/RSJ, GMA Integrated News

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