More than two hundred Filipino and foreign stakeholders recently adopted the Manila Declaration on Creating Alternatives to Incarceration  Systems in the Philippines that calls for expanding access to evidence-based health treatment for drug users and implementing reforms toward a more efficient criminal justice system.

The Manila Declaration was announced during the 2nd National Conference of the International Society of Substance Use Professionals Philippines National Chapter on the theme "Build, Better, Best: Building unified and synergized communities for the management of substance use," organized by the US Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, the Colombo Plan, and the Quezon City government from 5 to 9 December.

During the conference, law enforcement personnel, drugs and substance use professionals, civil society groups, and other stakeholders discussed emerging issues on addiction management, including the accreditation of treatment professionals, training service providers and community workers, and ATI systems — innovative treatment models that address drug use by reducing the risk of relapsing into criminal behavior, providing evidence-based treatment, and ensuring adequate social integration.

"Our efforts align closely with the theme of this year's conference because INL efforts include programs designed to build the capacity of drug prevention stakeholders; strengthen clinical skills and raise the standards of treatment and care; and train local community members to address drug-related matters," INL Director Kelia Cummins said. "By spending our time to learn and share, we are making a sound investment and bridging pathways to ensure that friends, families, community members, and society as a whole have what they need to not only survive, but to thrive."

The Philippine Addiction Specialists Society was also introduced as the new representative body of the ISSUP in the Philippines. As a new partner of INL and ISSUP Global, PASS seeks to expand its membership to support a whole-of-nation approach to addressing drug challenges.