The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on Wednesday signed an agreement with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to strengthen the community-based drug rehabilitation (CBDR) and the agency’s anti-illegal drug program dubbed “Buhay Ingatan, Droga’y Iwasan” (BIDA).
“As we continue to roll out the BIDA program in various sectors nationwide, I am very pleased to have the support of international agencies such as USAID. We thank USAID for sharing our vision and helping in our efforts to rehabilitate persons who use drugs and combating illegal drugs in the communities,” said DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos, Jr., during Wednesday’s signing of the accord in Cubao, Quezon City.
The partnership included the turnover of various CBDR materials and learning modules of the USAID RenewHealth to the DILG as part of the anti-drug program for distribution to local governments units.
According to Abalos, the collaboration aims to carry out various drug-demand activities such as ensuring access to evidence-based and culturally appropriate tools that support the implementation of the CBDR; dissemination of research and best practices of the CBDR, substance use prevention and re-integration program; and capacity-building for CBDR program managers and service providers of local government units.
Under the agreement, the USAID will provide tools and materials for social behavior change communication (SBCC) and CBDR; capacity-building andinformation management platforms for CBDR; advocacy events to highlight CBDR best practices; and evidence-based policies and guidelines for CBDR.
The DILG will lead the dissemination and co-branding of USAID’s SBCC and CBDR materials as part of the BIDA Program and Inter-Agency Committee on Anti-Illegal Drugs websites; leading forums and advocacy events as part of the BIDA Program; and provision of CBDR capacity building to LGUs and others.
USAID’s RenewHealth began in 2019 to promote social integration and increases the accessibility of drug treatment and rehabilitation within the community.
The BIDA program, on the other hand, is the Philippine government’s multi-sectoral and holistic drug campaign, is focused on intensifying initiatives to reduce the demand and supply of illegal drugs through a multi-sectoral approach inconjunction with the law enforcement efforts of the authorities.