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| A total of 131 LGUs nationwide signed an agreement with DSWD to implement the Yakap Bayan Program, a reintegration intervention strategy for RPWUDs. |
A total of 131 local government units (LGUs) nationwide signed an agreement with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to implement the Yakap Bayan Program, a reintegration intervention strategy for rehabilitated Recovering Persons Who Used Drugs (RPWUDs).
YBP is a comprehensive intervention designed to help RPWUDs recover and reintegrate into their families and communities. The program is the DSWD's main contribution to the government's fight against illegal drugs.
As of March 31, 2022, 131 LGUs nationwide had signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the DSWD committing to implement the YBP in their respective jurisdictions.
The YBP implementation includes the provision of aftercare services such as relapse prevention sessions, counseling sessions, health and fitness therapy, spiritual interventions, and skills training, among other things, to improve the well-being and social functioning of RPWUDs.
The LGUs are expected to issue a local policy to institutionalize program implementation and funding allocation under the MOA. With the program's implementation, rehabilitated RPWUDs can anticipate government assistance in their return to their families and communities.
Currently, the Department is advocating for the institutionalization of YBP in all communities and has identified three model/pilot areas where implementation is closely monitored, and breakthroughs are documented for possible replication. Tuy, Batangas, Barbaza, Antique, and Glan, Sarangani are the model/pilot areas.
According to the March 2022 report, the LGUs with existing MOAs with the DSWD include three provincial LGUs, 17 city LGUs, and 111 municipal LGUs.
According to the signed and notarized MOAs, 34 of the total LGUs are from Central Visayas, with the rest distributed across the country.
In accordance with the Mandanas decision, the DSWD is currently transitioning to fully devolve key program implementation to LGUs, including the YBP.
With illegal drugs posing a threat to the development of the sectors served by the DSWD, the Department continues to advocate for the institutionalization of the YBP in all LGUs. —Tacloban News Update (Source: DSWD)