TABUK CITY, Kalinga – Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Councils (BADACs) here have signified their commitment to implement strategies in the fight against illegal drugs.
The commitment was sealed through the conduct of Strengthening the Institutional Capacities of Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Councils (SICAP-BADAC) sponsored by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)- Kalinga at the Golden Berries Hotel and Convention Center.
City Local Government Operations Officer Helen Lacuesta said that the training aims to equip barangay officials on how they could help in the government’s campaign against illegal drug abuse, with the enabling laws and issuances, and the monitoring process.
Lacuesta stressed in her message that the role of the barangay is very crucial in ensuring that all illegal drug- related activities in the community are reported and addressed following the right procedures.
DILG Provincial Director Anthony Manolo Ballug, on the other hand said that illegal drugs is one of the four areas of concern of the national government, along with criminality, insurgency and violent extremism, utilizing the whole-of-nation approach.
Ballug encouraged the members of the BADAC to improve their performance, to implement activities in the barangay level that will help prevent these social concerns.
Resource speakers shared their insights on selected topics with Rochelle Anua of DILG-Kalinga discussing the legal bases and localization efforts, and assessment of National Action Plan for the prevention of counterfeit and violent extremism; barangay information gathering and reporting program for BADAC watchlist, and Barangay Drug Clearing Program from PDEA-Kalinga; and intelligence reporting from PNP-Kalinga.
The DILG notes that the SICAP-BADAC rollout training is highly important to capacitate local leaders to help eradicate the proliferation of illegal drugs. By Darwin S. Serion
