Drug abuse prevention activities are popularly done in school and in communities, and limited or none at all in the family or in the home. And most often family efforts with regards to drug abuse only arise when existence of drug abuse has already been confirmed.
Reaffirmation of Paternal Abilities Manual
With this concern, the Department of Social Welfare and Development spearheads the pilot implementation of Family Drug Abuse Prevention Program (FDAPP) in Davao City and Bacolod City. This effort of the Department is also in adherence to Republic Act 9165 or the Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
FDAPP goal is to promote for and advocate among parents their important roles in preventing drug abuse in their own families as well as to lead and serve as community volunteers in their neighborhood.
***ERPAT - Empowerment and Reaffirmation of Paternal Abilities Manual- provides learning opportunities for fathers to become advocates in the prevention of drug abuse in the family and in the community.
The project addresses the needs of parents to be informed on the ill effects of drugs and how they can protect their own children from negative influence of peers and negative endorsement from various sources of information that can attract interest particularly to the young members of the family.
Community-based trainings among parents are conducted to educate the parents on the causes of drug abuse and how to combat the drug abuse problems in their own community. A separate form of training is provided to father leaders in the community for them to become active and involved in conducting community education activities on drug abuse prevention. Hence trainings such as Parent Effectiveness Service and Empowerment and Reaffirmation of Paternal Abilities are provided to parent and father leaders in the community.
***Manual of Effective Parenting - enhances capability and knowledge on parents in performing their parental roles and responsibilities. It highlights strengthening family and marital relationships, building of positive values and promoting developmental growth and development of young and older children.
Parents likewise undergo basic leadership and volunteerism seminars and other forms of capability building activities to prepare them and strengthen their participation as community volunteers and advocates in the prevention of drug abuse.
Drug abuse prevention in the family is everybody's concern. Families and parents themselves must be directly involved to save their own families and help combat drug abuse problems their own communities.
By Ernestina Solloso, DSWD