BONTOC, Mountain Province – The Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council (PADAC) of Mountain Province was chosen as among the best in the country after garnering a perfect rating of 100 percent for 2018.
The only province in the Cordillera Administrative Region to be given the citation, the rating was categorized as ideal by the National Audit Team led by the Department of Interior and Local Government, with other members of the team representing the Philippine National Police, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, and civil society organizations. The search aims to rate the 81 provincial, 145 city and 1,489 municipal anti-drug abuse councils in the country. All local ADACs with perfect functionality point score will be qualified for the award.
The rating of each ADAC is based on the following criteria — organized local ADAC; conduct of quarterly meetings; allocation of funds for the implementation of anti-drug activities as indicated in the Peace and Order and Public Safety Plan; implementation of plan and programs; support for component ADACs; and innovation. Mountain Province got perfect scores in all these graded areas.
The award was received by Gov. Bonifacio C. Lacwasan, Jr, DILG-MP Provincial Director Anthony Ballug, PADAC Focal Person Angel Baybay and PIO Novy Afidchao at the Manila Hotel where the awarding ceremonies were held last Monday. Joining the group are members of the PADAC secretariat. No less than DILG Secretary Eduardo Ano and Dangerous Drugs Board Secretary Catalino Uy were on hand to present the award.
Aside from Mountain Province, the municipalities of Tineg (Abra), Bauko (Mountain Province and Barlig (Mountain Province) also were given the same citation for an ideal ADAC. The mayors of the said towns received the award.
The latest PADAC award added another feather for Mountain Province. Last month, the Provincial Accounting Office was adjudged as one of the best performing provincial accounting offices. The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council was likewise honored as the second best in the country during the national awarding activity held earlier this month.
Governor Lacwasan said that the awards only prove that even when he is not physically present at his office because of many official travels outside the province, the employees could work on their own. “This only emphasizes the professionalism of provincial employees and proves that we are now working as a team. I just hope and pray that we could sustain what we started.”
By Erwin Batnag
