More local government units throughout the country are reportedly looking at following Davao City’s landmark legislation mandating a drug-free workplace.
“Some areas, not only in Region XI, but throughout the whole country expressed their interest in localizing this ordinance. They said they would like to adopt the said legislation to their own settings in their localities,” PDEA XI assistant regional director Ben Joseph O. Tesiorna said.
According to Tesiorna, the city must really set an example to the other localities as it is the hometown of President Rodrigo Duterte. “If there is an area that must be an example of the war on dangerous drugs, it should be Davao City,” Tesiorna said.
“This is the first time a local government unit passed an ordinance requiring all private establishments employing more than 10 employees to implement their own drug-free program,” he added.
Tesiorna also said they are widely encouraging the establishments to implement the City Ordinance 0506-13 or the Drug-Free Workplace Ordinance.
Based on the ordinance, service-oriented establishments are mandated to conduct random drug tests this year as a requirement for the renewal of their business permits for the year 2020; service and product-oriented establishments are mandated to conduct in 2020 as a pre-requisite for the renewal in 2021; and product-oriented establishments are mandated to conduct in 2021 as a pre-requisite for renewal in 2022.
Tesiorna also encouraged establishments to coordinate with the City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (Cadac), the main implementing agency of the ordinance, along with other accredited academic institutions, for a workshop on the implementation of the ordinance.
“The Cadac, along with several academic institutions, are now conducting seminars to educate HR personnel and other concerned staff of various establishments to implement this program,” he said.
