2019

This is an Entry to the Government Best Practice Recognition Awards

Title

Oplan PAWID (Panatilihing Walang Illegal na Droga sa piitan ng BJMPRO-1)

Organization

BJMPRO—1

Best practice Focus Area(s)

Strategic planning and deployment, Customer and citizen focus, Human Resource

Year Implemented

2017

Summary

Oplan PAWID stands for PanatiLihing Walang Ilegal na Droga sa mga piitan ng BJMPRO-1. Launched last 09 November 2017, Oplan PAWID was a new innovation initiated by then Jail Senior Superintendent REBECCA B. PAWID, Jail Regional Director (RD) of BJMPRO-1.

Background and Problem

Oplan PAWID aims to keep jails in BJMPRO-1 as “drug-free” and maintain it as such.

Challenges:

  1. BJMPRO-1 has 19 jails spread over 4 provinces that entail a significant amount of resources to cover and maintain. This situation is complicated considering the surprise factor on which clearing activities had to be conducted every month by combined teams from PDEA- Region 1 and BJMPRO-1.
  2. At the time the project was launched, BJMPRO-1 jails were populated mostly by PDLs charged with violation of RA 9165 or Dangerous Drugs Act of 2004 largely because of the war against illegal drugs waged earlier by the present regime. The threat of dangerous drugs inundating jails is clear and real.

As the drug war turns “chilling”, BJMPRO-1 RD Pawid could not just sit back and allow the jails of Region 1  to be the rotting dumping ground for drug suspects. A refocus was needed to make the jails live up to the bureau’s mantra of “Changing lives, building a safer nation”, in hopes of  transforming the jails into a place where people were developed to be effective partners in nation-building. But first, they had to ensure that no drugs get snuck in or out.

Solution and Impact

Oplan PAWID had enabled partnerships with PDEA, other law enforcement agencies and local public safety offices in the conduct of clearing operations. It has also helped BJMPRO-1 to better reach out to families and communities to inform them of the evils of illegal drugs.

As described in the Guidelines of the Oplan, there are four components that need to be conducted, namely:

  1. Oplan Greyhound;
  2. Drug Awareness campaigns;
  3. Skills training and behavioral intervention programs or Therapeutic Community Modality Program (TCMP) and
  4. Random Drug Testing of personnel and PDLs.

In order for all four components to be implemented, coordination with PDEA, PNP, drug testing facilities, and other NGOs must be done.

The declaration of jails in BJMPRO-1 as drug-free jail facilities by the Oversight Committee on Drug-Free/Cleared Jail Facility is a result of Oplan PAWID. This recognition affects BKMPRO-1’s primary clients by  reinforcing their desire to change and erases any possibility of regressing back to their old lifestyle. Also, the award draws the renewed support of stakeholders after witnessing the genuine effort of keeping jails as “good” places.

Milestones

Oplan PAWID had enabled partnerships with PDEA, other law enforcement agencies and local public safety offices in the conduct of clearing operations. It has also helped BJMPRO-1 to better reach out to families and communities to inform them of the evils of illegal drugs.

Up to the present, few BJMP regions are declared Drug- Free, BJMPRO-1 being one of the few. This achievement highlights the remarkable results and the following awards resulting from Oplan PAWID:

  1. Best Performing Region for CY 2018
  2. Best Oplan Linis Piitan implementer 2017
  3. Plaque of Merit as Best BJMP Region during the 27″‘ BJMP Anniversary
  4. Certificate of Recognition by the Chief, BJMP for having 100% of all jails declared as Drug- Free