Press Release No.

25/19

Date: 25 November 2019

For more information and comments, please contact:

Ella Marie L. Dimaculangan
Public Relations Officer
9291753 loc. 138
09985877948
emldimaculangan.ddb@gmail.com / ddbmapru@gmail.com
___________________________________________________________________

DDB, member agencies, stakeholders celebrate 2019 Drug Abuse Prevention

and Control Week -

The Dangerous Drugs Board, along with its member agencies and different national
government agencies (NGAs), government-owned and -controlled corporations
(GOCCs), local government units (LGUs) and non-government organizations (NGOs)
convened at The Elements in Eton Centris, Quezon City today, 25 November 2019,
for the annual kickoff celebration of the Drug Abuse Prevention and Control (DAPC)
Week.

The event included a showcase of the DDB’s accomplishments for 2019, the unveiling
and presentation of the new Philippine Anti-Illegal Drugs Strategy (PADS) logo, and
the ceremonial turn-over of P 4,180,000 funding support for the Technical Education
Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for the Tahanang Pangkabuhayan program,
which is a treatment and intervention program for recovering drug users. Director
Diosdado Escalante, Director III from TESDA, thanked the DDB and assured them
that the funding will be put to good use to implement programs for the surrenderers.
According to him, as of September this year, 11,291 surrenders have enrolled in
TESDA programs nationwide and more than 9000 have already graduates. Director
Escalante also stated, “TESDA hopes to see more economic growth, gainful
employment, positive changes in their quality of life, and significant improvements in
the future.”
Assistant Secretary Gregorio Pimentel, Deputy Director-General for Operations of the
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and Undersecretary Ricojudge Janvier
Echiverri of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) also gave
congratulatory messages.

Senator Ronald “Bato” M. dela Rosa, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Public
Order and Dangerous Drugs and former PNP Chief, gave the keynote address. He
emphasized that as far as Filipino standards are concerned, the war on drugs is a
success - although it may not be perfect, at least the government is doing something
and the Filipino people can feel that the different government agencies are doing their
best to improve the situation. According to the Senator, “The war on drugs is not
perfect, madami pa din pagkukulang at umaabuso, pero we are doing this para sa
ating kinabukasan.”

Senator Bato also listed the different legislative measures that he is lobbying for, which
includes reinstating the death penalty for drug traffickers, mandatory drug education
in K-12, particularly in 4th-12th grades, and the allowance of voluntary drug
rehabilitation without court orders. He stated that what matters the most is the support
and cooperation of the community alongside the government’s whole-of-government
approach. In closing, he congratulated the DDB once again and thanked them for their
efforts in implementing the PADS as a guideline for the government’s anti-drug efforts.

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