BAGUIO CITY (PIA) -- The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency - Cordillera (PDEA-CAR) is recommending the adoption of the Drug-Free Workplace Program (DFWP) of the Department of the Interior and Local Government Region 12.
Rosel Sarmiento of PDEA-CAR informed during the 1st Quarter Inter-agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs (ICAD) Advocacy Cluster meeting in March 28, that under the program, the local government units (LGUs) will be subjected to an assessment process based on criteria, monitoring and evaluation by a committee.
A drug-free workplace seal will be awarded to an LGU that complied with the parameters set by the committee.
"Itong program na ito ay para sa LGUs. In that way, makaka-receive ng award ang mga LGUs kasi po sa Board regulation, wala pong mandate na magbigay ang PDEA or DDB (Dangerous Drugs Board) ng drug-free workplace certificate, isa 'yun sa lagi nating hinahanap," Sarmiento said.
Anti-Drug Abuse Council Technical Assistant Jean Caoili-Kimbis said the DILG-CAR has already discussed the possible replication of the DFWP.
"For collaborations, meron naman kaming contact ng focal person dun sa Region 12, puwede po tayong makipag-coordinate sa kanila; if kaya din po nating i-invite sila para mag-discuss sa atin," Kimbis said.
It was agreed in the meeting that the matter will be elevated to the Regional ICAD for further discussion.
The PDEA-CAR together with its partners continue to campaign for the DFWP.
In 2018, the DDB issued Board Regulation No. 13 which aims to promote the establishment and institutionalization of drug-free workplace policies in all government agencies and ensure that all public officers, both elective and appointive, remain drug-free through the conduct of authorized drug testing pursuant to the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2022. (JDP/DEG-PIA CAR)
