LGU San Miguel adopts Yakap Bayan, undergo training

Posted on July 12, 2023

In response to the aftercare and social reintegration needs of the Recovering Persons Who Used Drugs (RPWUDs), DSWD Field Office Caraga continues to provide capacity building to Local Government Units through their Anti-Drug Abuse Councils (ADAC).

With a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Agency in replicating the implementation of the Yakap Bayan Program (YBP) to their localities, members of the ADAC from LGU San Miguel, Surigao Del Sur, engage in YBP aftercare modules training at Arena Blanca, San Agustin, Surigao del Sur – July 4-7, 2023. The participants are expected to be equipped with necessary knowledge and skills in conducting sessions revolving personal, family, community, and livelihood themes.

Capacity Building. DSWD FO Caraga provides assistance to LGU San Miguel for the implementation of YBP.

San Miguel Municipal Mayor, Hon, Michael T. Corilla, joined the training and gave his message of support for the need to provide aftercare services to RPWUDs through the Yakap Bayan Program.

Committed. San Miguel Municipal Mayor, Hon, Michael T. Corilla participates in the capacity building in support of the campaign to combat the use and abuse of illegal drugs.

YBP, is a holistic intervention to assist RPWUDs in their recovery journey and to facilitate their social reintegration, is one of the major contributions of the DSWD in realizing the goals and objectives of the Philippine Anti-Illegal Drugs Strategy (PADS). It is the country’s primary strategy to combat the use and abuse of illegal drugs, particularly under the Demand Reduction component of the said strategy. Once replicated at the local level, the program shall be run by LGU’s ADAC through a multi-disciplinary team with dedicated social worker/s who will serve as case managers.

In the country, YBP is officially adopted as a community-based aftercare and re-integration model to be implemented as part of the flow for treatment and rehabilitation services (pursuant to DDB regulations No. 6 and 7 series of 2019) through the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) Resolution No. 18 series of 2020. Under the same resolution, YBP implementation is also adopted as a component of the Barangay Drug Clearing Program pursuant to DDB Regulation No. 3 s. 2017.

Following these legal bases, DSWD FO Caraga continuously encourages the rest of the LGUs in Caraga to replicate the implementation of YBP, without prejudice to the existing models they currently used to provide aftercare services and ensure the social reintegration of RPWUDs.