Community Stakeholders take on the Philippine Drug War: Inputs on Intervention Programs

Abstract

In every country, substances are well-known game-changers of any person. Like caffeine, nicotine, or even alcohol, some notables are highly used and are known to be legally available for consumption. However, it is not an unknown reality that illegal substances are available in the streets of any country, even in the Philippines. They are kept from public use and are mostly abused, while some become dependent on them. This observed fact led the government in its war against drugs and other programs that aim to eradicate illegal drugs and offer a cure and developmental program for those who are abused and dependent on them. With the different existing platforms, the stakeholder’s knowledge, attitude on the various effects of the substances, such as their abuse and dependence, and governing policies, should be checked. To understand the said situations, the study used an embedded design and acquired qualitative data through an open-ended semi-structured interview with Barangay Officials, students, and teachers as its participants. Similarly, the quantitative data was gathered through a researcher-made questionnaire as exploratory factor analysis. Through joint display analysis, the study was able to put an understanding that the phenomena can be summed up into CARE: Compliance to Government-given responsibilities, acknowledging that success requires support, Resolute and unyielding in helping the dependent and the abused, and Engagement of the whole family and the Community.