The fight against illegal drugs remains and must be pursued relentlessly. I have always been vocal in commending the previous administration’s tough stance against crime and illegal drugs, led by former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte, which produced a significant drop in the Philippines’ crime rate. The use of these prohibited substances is a significant public health issue that must be addressed at the individual, community, and societal levels.

As Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, I welcome the news that approximately PP10.41 billion worth of illicit drugs were seized in 2023, with over 27,000 barangays allegedly cleared of narcotics, as per government reports.

I am hopeful that the current administration will continue to carry out its initiatives to address drug abuse to maintain the significant change that has made our kababayans feel safer walking down the streets at night. Let us work together to avoid wasting what was already achieved in the past administration.

As Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, I laud President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s plan to construct drug abuse treatment and rehabilitation centers in every province by June of 2028. Earlier, I filed Senate Bill No. 428, which also seeks to establish drug abuse treatment and rehabilitation centers nationwide.

The bill calls for these centers that will offer victims of drug addiction housing, care, and treatment to address the drug problem in a more comprehensive and well-rounded manner where they are physically, psychologically, and socially capable of coping with problems common to their peer group. Additionally, they will be provided with social reintegration, follow-up, and after-care services to help them conform to life in the community following treatment.

Meanwhile, as the Chair of the Senate Committee on Sports, I encourage everyone to engage in activities that would benefit our body, like sports. As part of my advocacy, I continuously promote sports as a significant part of nation-building and encourage communities to get into sports and stay away from illegal drugs to be healthy and fit! Sports, as we all know, benefit our physical and mental health. We must consider that health is wealth, and good health is equivalent to life.

Meanwhile, our mission to bring services closer to our fellow Filipinos never stops. On January 12, I personally joined the groundbreaking ceremony of the newly constructed Super Health Center in Brgy. NBBS Kaunlaran, Navotas City together with Mayor John Ray Tiangco, Vice Mayor Tito Sanchez, councilors, and some city health officials. We also provided aid to barangay health workers present.

As the vice chair of the Senate Committee on Migrant Workers, we also joined and spent time with some members of the OFW Global Movement for Empowerment and OFW We Rise As One group for their year-end gathering held in Matina Aplaya, Davao City, on 13 January. These OFWs have sacrificed a lot for being away from their families to provide them with a better future. They have my endless gratitude for contributing to the robustness of our economy.

It is for these reasons that during the Duterte administration, we actively pushed for the establishment of the Department of Migrant Workers through a law that I served as one of the authors and co-sponsors for the government to render better and faster services for our so-called modern-day heroes. On top of this, the OFW Hospital has also been established in Pampanga through our support, and we hope to institutionalize it through a bill I recently filed. There is also a Malasakit Center in the OFW hospital to provide medical aid. I have also filed a bill to establish OFW wards in select public hospitals to improve medical care for our OFWs and their dependents.

Furthermore, it is unfortunate to see our kababayans spend time in an evacuation area during the Sinulog celebration in Cebu when people should be joyous and jubilant. That is why, on 14 January, I visited and assisted 168 fire victims in Brgy. Carretta in Cebu City before joining the celebration of the Sinulog sa Lalawigan Grand Showdown at Cebu City Sports Complex with Governor Gwen Garcia and other local officials.

Furthermore, our Malasakit Team also went to different communities to help those affected by crises and various calamities. In South Cotabato, my team has extended help to 15 residents of Surallah and six in Sto. Nino; three in Tupi; and six in Tantangan. While in North Cotabato, there were 34 residents of Aleosan, and two in Alamada who received assistance. We also aided 119 beneficiaries from Maitum, Sarangani, and 11 in General Santos City. Finally, three more Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat beneficiaries received similar assistance, and 23 from Cotabato City. Personnel from the National Housing Authority provided emergency housing assistance to qualified beneficiaries to help them purchase nails and other materials for house repairs.

In Batangas City and San Pascual, around 100 displaced workers were given various forms of support in partnership with Board Members Claudette Ambida and Arlina Magboo. At the same time, 169 from Taal with Mayor Pong Mercado and 438 from Calaca and Balayan with Congressman Eric Buhain, Mayor Nas Ona, Board Members Junjun Rosales, and Armie Bausas were assisted. In Palayan City, Nueva Ecija, we have helped 530 beneficiaries in coordination with Mayor Vianne Cuevas. Qualified beneficiaries were also provided temporary employment by the Department of Labor and Employment.

We likewise provided immediate aid to those affected by recent fire incidents. We helped 58 families in Angono, Rizal; 263 in Zamboanga City; 6 in General Santos City; one family in Polomolok, South Cotabato; 48 in Navotas City; 15 in Malabon City; 144 families in Cebu City; one family in Marawi City; and three families in Saguiran, Lanao del Sur.

Meanwhile, our Malasakit team also visited Quezon City to distribute aid to indigents in collaboration with Councilor Mikey Belmonte.

The gains we have made during the previous administration and the work we do presently continue to make me more determined to push for initiatives that will assist the poor in uplifting back their lives. Our approach, therefore, is two-fold: combat illegal drugs relentlessly for being a menace to society but also offer proper interventions and holistic treatment for victims of this social affliction. Together, let us build a safer and drug-free Philippines!