Drugs and addiction in Philippines

1. Drug Dependents
By:
Adao, Mujahid
Cabizares, Lawrence
Cipriano, Richard
Ocenar, Marhco

2. Drug Dependents
Drug dependents are persons who, as a result of periodic or
continuous use of drugs (usually in the form of sedatives,
stimulants, and hallucinogens), have developed a physical and/or
psychological need for/dependence on these drugs to the extent
that their denial produces adverse effects on themselves.
The person is preoccupied with the acquisition and compulsive
use of drugs despite its negative consequences and so, is called an
"addict.

3. Drug Dependents
• Drug dependence has been an
area of concern among law-
enforcement agencies, civic-
minded citizens, and
organizations since the mid-
sixties. It is reported to have
caused 70% of the nation's total
number of heinous crimes,
clogging the court dockets and
congesting jails in the country. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-ND

4. Dangerous Drug Board survey in 2019
• after President Duterte launched
a massive crackdown on drug
use
• the number of drug users in the
country declined more than 50%
from four (4) million in 2016 to
1.67 million in 2019 (two out of
100 Filipinos aged 10-69 were
found to be using illegal drugs).

5. Dangerous Drug Board survey in 2021
• In 2021, there were 41,500
reported cases involving illegal
drugs, 12,400 of which were
reported by the National Capital
Region regional police office.

6. The important developments that have taken
place in this area of concern are the
following:
1965 Creation of
the Narcotics
Section of the
National Bureau
of Investigation
1967 Organization
of the Narcotics
Foundation of the
Philippines by civic-
minded citizens.
1968 Enactment of
Republic Act 5461 which
provided for rehabilitation
services to special groups
including drug
dependents,
1969 Signing of a
Memorandum of
Agreement between the
Department of Justice
and the Department of
Social Welfare
1971 Bahay Pag-asa,
a drug rehabilitation
center, was opened
under the leadership
of Rev. Fr. Robert M.
Garon.

7. The important developments that have taken
place in this area of concern are the
following:
1972 R.A. No. 6425
was passed, defining
what prohibited
drugs are
1980 March 15:
President Marcos
signed Presidential
Decree No. 1683
making capital
offenses
2002 The "Comprehensive
Dangerous Drugs Act of
2002" (R.A. No. 9165)
repealed the Dangerous
Drugs Act of 1972 (R.A.
No. 6425) on June 7, 2022
2016 Executive
Order No. 15, 2016,
ordered the creation
of the Inter-Agency
Committee on Anti-
Ilegal Drugs

8. 2017 The DSWD formulated the "Yakap
Bayan Framework of Intervention
• a cyclical rehabilitation and reintegration framework for
strategic and coordinated provision of services to Recovering
Persons Who Use Drugs (RPWUDs) , their families, and their
communities.
• The Bayan Program "provides a concrete course of actions
that will guide the Anti-Drug Abuse Councils (ADACs) which,
through their organized LGU Reintegration

9. Treatment and Rehabilitation
As of February 2022, the Department of Health
reported that there is a total of 73 DOH-Accredited
Treatment and Rehabilitation Centers (DATRCs)
nationwide, of which thirty (30) are government-
operated and forty-three (43) are private facilities.
These DATRCs are either residential or non-residential
(i.e., providing outpatient services).

10. Roles of the Social Worker in the Centers
1. Assists the physician in the
formulation of a treatment
plan and offer care and follow-
up program.
2. Conducts home visitation of
patients as need arises.
3. Provides counseling to
patients and their co-
dependents

11. Roles of the Social Worker in the Centers
4. Conducts social case study of
all patients and prepares
subsequent reports.
5. Prepares progress reports and
other documents.
6. Provides follow-up domiciliary
service to patients; and
7. Performs other duties and
functions relevant to the
position.

12. Field of Social Work
• Many of these agencies and institutions employ social workers in
administrative or supervisory positions, and/or direct work with
dependents, the latter being done almost always with a team
composed of professionals from other disciplines like medicine and
psychology.
• As programs and services for drug dependents are improved and
developed, we may expect the demand for social workers in this field
to increase.