LOOKING BACK: The 3rd ISSUP Philippine National Conference

The ISSUP Philippine Chapter, alongside our Partner Organizations the Quezon City Local Government Unit (QCLGU) and the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), had sucessfully held the 3rd Philippine National Conference last October 14 to 18, 2024. We gathered more than 250 participants from across the Philippines in celebration of the theme "Together We Can: Cohesive Communities for Drug Demand Reduction."

This theme was chosen in light of the Chapter’s beginning of a new milestone. The Chapter itself is a relatively young organization established only mid-2022; yet since then, it has forged strong connections with key stakeholders in the field of substance addiction treatment, prevention, and recovery, such as the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB), Office of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and more!

 The theme of this Conference represents a strategic shift in PASS's activities toward harmonizing the efforts of these agencies and organizations, fostering a Cohesive Community dedicated to more effectively combating illicit substance use and addiction. Our Plenary Sessions in the 3rd ISSUP National Conference will reflect this commitment where we brought together key stakeholders from a number of sectors within the addiction field – from government agencies to international institutions, and private organizations to individual pioneers. Here, each voice was heard and meaningful dicussions were held in each plenary panels to realize how their efforts all lead toward a drug-free Philippines. In this way, they are then able to coordinate their existing and future programs to create a cohesive community of addiction  professionals dedicated to evidence-based, compassionate addiction care.

Additionally, a cohesive community for DDR must also be composed of competent addiction professionals to be effective in its goal. As such, the Conference also provided training opportunities in UTC/UPC workshops provided by the Colombo Plan – Drug Advisory Programme! Almost 150 members of our community were capacitated in UTC 1, 3, 8, 13, and 21, as well as UPC 8!

The successes of the 2nd and 3rd ISSUP National Conferences serve to reinforce the ISSUP Philippine Chapter’s dedication to drug demand reduction in the Philippines and underscores the Philippines’ commitment to building an interconnected community of support and professional expertise in addressing substance use disorders.

“... the real challenge in the DDR Community is not about striving for excellence, but embracing unity.”

- Dr. Paul Lawrence Filomeno
  Scientific Committee Chair
3rd ISSUP National Conference Committee