Manila: A total of 1,716 local Anti-Drug Abuse Councils (ADACs) will be audited this year to measure their effectiveness in addressing the drug problem in their communities, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) announced Friday. The audit will cover ADACs across 82 provinces, 149 cities, and 1,485 municipalities, assessing their performance for 2024, the agency said in a press release.
According to Philippines News Agency, eight key areas will be reviewed: council reorganization, frequency of meetings, budget use, support for barangay committees, oversight and management, barangay drug-clearing efforts, access to rehabilitation and reintegration services, and accountability systems. Audit teams will include members from the Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Dangerous Drugs Board, and accredited civil society groups. All evaluations will be conducted through the ADAC Functionality Monitoring System, which requires LGUs to upload supporting documents and allows them to view results online.
Councils will be rated on a 100-point scale: High Performing (70-100), Moderate (51-69), and Low (below 50). Poor performers may face technical assistance or sanctions if they fail twice in a row, while top performers scoring at least 80 will be recognized for excellence. The DILG said the move supports President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s community-based, rights-centered anti-drug strategy and strengthens transparency through digital monitoring.
Meanwhile, starting Sept. 11, Filipinos facing emergencies will only need to dial 911. The unified national emergency hotline consolidates more than 30 separate local emergency numbers into a single, integrated network linking the PNP, Bureau of Fire Protection, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, local governments, and other emergency responders. The service will be available 24/7 in Tagalog, Cebuano, Ilocano, Waray, Tausug, and other Philippine dialects. The target response time is five minutes.
