The Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC), in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), facilitated a drug abuse prevention education for all ECC personnel, janitorial staff, and security personnel on June 20, 2024 at the ECC main office in Makati City.

In her opening remarks, Deputy Executive Director Atty. Evelyn R. Ramos highlighted the negative effect of drugs on workers productivity. She mentioned that if one is into prohibited drugs, it affects his mental health which may result in underperformance.

PDEA Information Officer Jerome Paulo F. Co, a registered psychometrician, and Jean Ivy G. Antonio, Information Officer IV of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (NCR), served as resource persons for the said activity.

Drug Abuse appears to be the cause of many serious social, psychological, emotional, economic, and relationship problems. In fact, according to the 2019 National Household Survey, current drug users in the Philippines have climbed to 1.67 million and are between the ages of 10-69 years old. That is 1.51% of the country’s current population.

From the point of view of PDEA, preventing the entry of dangerous drugs in the office is the very key to a drug free workplace. They encouraged all ECC employees to strengthen their Drug Free Workplace Program which includes annual seminars on drugs, random drug testing, and building policies which would assist affected employees in their treatment and/or rehabilitation.

Ultimately, the ECC employees were informed that when one employee uses drugs, it has a ripple effect stirring toward substandard performance which results in low productivity affecting the whole agency.

 

M. De Guzman – CO