PDEA-7 pushes drug-free workplace in Cebu City

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7) Director Wardley Getalla presents to the Cebu City Anti Drug Abuse Council (CADAC) the report of PDEA’s anti-drug operations during the 1st CADAC-BADAC meeting at the Social Hall of the Cebu City Hall. | Delta Dyrecka Letigio

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Central Visayas (PDEA-7)  are encouraging the private industries in Cebu City to ensure a drug-free workplace.

PDEA-7 Director Wardley Getalla said that they had launched the movement on a drug-free workplace in compliance to the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 last February and had intended to increase the level of awareness in the city because of its many private establishments.

Getalla said that these establishments must become partners of the government to deter any illegal drug activities in their premises.

The drug-free workplace movement has four components which are the advocacy education of the employees, conduct of random drug testing on the personnel, rehabilitation and treatment of drug-positive personnel, and monitoring and evaluation of the drug-free workplace program.

Read more: CADAC to back PDEA’s drug-free workplace drive

“We are proposing the cities to encourage the private establishments to comply with the drug-free workplace policy. The cities’ responses were positive because this is not only for their own organizations to be drug free, this has also become their social responsibilities,” said Getalla.

Getalla also encouraged the private establishments especially those sharing space in a building with other business to report any suspicious activities and presence of any suspected drug personalities.

He warned the establishments that penalties would be given to those who would not comply with the drug-free workplace mandate of the PDEA-7.

“It is up to the city government to have their own punishment to implement the drug-free workplace mandate,” said Getalla.

In Cebu City, no barangay is considered drug-free.

Getalla said that the establishment of a drug-free workplace would help the barangays achieve a drug-free status as well./dbs

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