CONCEPT PAPER: PROJECT SAGIP QUITA

CONCEPT PAPER: PROJECT SAGIP QUITA

PROJECT TITLE : SAGIP QUITA

PROJECT LOCATION : Municipality of San Quintin, Pangasinan

PROPONENT : Municipal Government of San Quintin, San

Quintin, Pangasinan

CONTACT PERSONS : The Municipal Mayor, San Quintin, Pangasinan

PNP PPSC
MDRRMO

BENEFICIARIES : Reformists/ Surenderees of San Quintin,

Pangasinan

TOTAL PROJECT COST : To be determined

SOURCE OF FUND : To be determined

Introduction
Heeding the president’s directive for an unprecedented , intensified, all-out nationwide
campaign against illegal drugs, the PNP, under the leadership of Director General
Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, has initiated its Anti-Illegal Drugs Campaign Plan —
PROJECT: "DOUBLE BARREL”, which is envisioned to clear all drug- infested
barangays across the country, conduct incessant operations against high profile
personalities involved in illicit drug trafficking as well as dismantle drug networks and
syndicates within a period of six months.
However, the momentum of this fierce multi sectoral anti-drug war was impeded by the
lack of reformatory facilities or rehabilitation centers throughout the nation to
accommodate the treatment of the phenomenal influx of a number of drug
surenderees/reformists. These rehabilitation facilities would greatly complement the
PNP’s campaign to end illegal drug trade and use.

This new situation compelled the chief executive to request for an extension of an
additional six months of operations in order to successfully resolve the issue of drug
addiction down to the grass roots level. He further insisted that the war on drugs would
continue until the end of his tenure. The surge in the multitude of drug users and

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peddlers who opted to surrender to proper authorities is the aftermath of their morbid
fear of being killed in the course of legitimate police anti-drugs operations.

Statistical data gleaned from reliable sources in the media revealed that, the police
visited 6,097,672 houses as part of its “Project Tokhang,” which involves police officers
going around communities across the country in order to persuade suspected drug
users to submit themselves to a drug rehabilitation program.

Also, the government has conducted 40,982 anti-drug operations from July 1 last year
to January 7 this year. The police killed 2,206 drug personalities during this period while
44,070 were arrested.

So far, the present administration’s offensive against illegal drugs resulted in 1,020,244
surrenderees and 940,000 of those who surrendered are drug users while about 75,000
are pushers.

Overall, there are only 44 drug rehabilitation centers across the country and these can
only hold a maximum of 5,000 persons. Of the 44 drug rehabilitation centers, 15 are
owned and managed by the government while the remaining are privately operated

This staggering figure of 1,020,244 reformists is a stark contrast to the 5,000

maximum-combined capacities of all available rehabilitation centers strewn nationwide.

It is evident that the number of existing rehab facilities is too inadequate to

accommodate this throng of reformists.

The Department of Health, has set aside P3 billion for drug rehabilitation in the
proposed national budget for 2017.

In a press release, PNP Chief Dela Rosa, stated that it will be the Local Government
Units concerned who are in charge of helping the surrenderees and providing
rehabilitation centers.

As there is no existing national roadmap for holistic intervention programs to reform

users and pushers and successfully eliminate drugs, LGUs are encouraged to conceive
their own rehabilitation programs and establish safe havens for drug addicts. Due to
budgetary constraints, some LGUs have not yet established their own institutions.

In the light of the turn of these events in the crusade against drugs, the municipality of
San Quintin took the initiative of devising its own scheme to contend with ever-
increasing flow of surenderees in the locality. As a consequence, PROJECT SAGIP
QUITA came into being.

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Project Description
PROJECT SAGIP QUITA, is a special nonprofit project proposal which aims to
improve livelihoods, offer job opportunities, open educational platforms and trainings
as well as provide unconventional therapeutic treatment and rehabilitation of drug
reformists/surenderees within the territorial jurisdiction of the Municipality of San
Quintin.

Purpose
The project’s purpose is accommodate the treatment of all reformists/ surenderees in
San Quintin by alternative methods and techniques. As there are no present
rehabilitation centers in the municipality and no fixed program for specific interventions
for the healing and therapy of drug addicts , the LGU sought unconventional means
and measures, orchestrated its own policies, regulations, guidelines in order to
mitigate and rehabilitate the flood of surrenderees in the town.

Proponents
The principal proponent of this special undertaking is the Office of the Mayor of the
Municipality of San Quintin, in collaboration with Liga ng mga Barangay, MDRRMO, and
assisted by the PNPs PPSC Technical Working Group.

Beneficiaries
Target beneficiaries of the project are the reformists/surenderees listed in the
BADAC/PNP roster in this town.

Goals and Objectives

The project’s main goal is to equip these reformist/surenderees with adequate
survival/working skills that would promote better chances of recovery, and allow them to
lead normal prolific lives. This is accomplished by (1) counseling, spiritual development,
education and constant monitoring of their activities by BADAC. (2) allowing them to
participate in a short term course in Basic Search and Rescue (SAR) operations, and,
eventually be integrated into the MDRRMO as full time employees and/or be deployed
as SAR respondents in the BDRRMC.

Methodology and Timelines

PROJECT SAGIP QUITA is a two-pronged pincer like envelopment strategy to
neutralize the menace of illegal drug trade down to the barangay level, contain its
spread to adjacent municipalities and implement programs of interventions for the
speedy recuperation of reformists.
One pincer of the strategy is to wipe out the physical effects and heal the psychological
trauma of illicit drugs from the person/being of these reformists. More importantly, it
seeks to obliterate the stigma associated with a drug user as the bane of modern
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society thru counseling and spiritual development, as drug addicts are ostracized for
their involvement in criminal activities just to fuel their vices. It also entails BADACs
periodic house-to-house monitoring of the drug surrenderees in their communities,
ensuring that they are no longer using prohibited drugs.
While the other pincer, features an advocacy for the complete transformation and total
reintegration of these drug dependents into the mainstream of society as normal,
productive, law abiding citizens by providing them a hands-on seminar/workshop on
basic skills in Search And Rescue (SAR). This training is intended to harness the
potential of these reformists as proactive members of the MDRRMO and/or BDRRMC.

MDRRMO is the official disaster response unit tasked to provide expedient and
appropriate response service to constituents in times of flooding, typhoons, earthquake,
fire, and vehicular accidents. The office also ensures preparedness and survival of local
communities in times of disasters, both natural and human-induced.

MDRRMO also conducts capacity building activities, DRRM mainstreaming, and regular
information and education programs for schools, public and private sector employees,
and private individuals on the various facets of disaster risk reduction and management.
By absorbing these surenderees into the MDRRMO, they become force multipliers in
providing a helping hand and extending assistance to people caught in the midst of
disasters. As members of MDRRMO, they are also expected to present useful advice
that people should know when faced with emergencies, tragedies and calamities. 
Among the highlights included in the conceptual framework of PROJECT SAGIP QUITA
are two phases, namely:

Phase One: conduct of training on Basic Skills in Search and Rescue (SAR)
operations. This capacity building/training program is to be facilitated and coordinated
by experienced lecturers and practitioners comprised of certified SAR personnel from
PNP, PPSC, Red Cross, affiliate EMS Teams, and members of the local MDRRMO of
San Quintin:
The seminar/workshop provides comprehensive instruction on emergency management
(mitigation, prevention, preparedness, response, recovery) consulting, planning,
training, and exercises for SAR personnel assigned in relief, humanitarian and disaster
operations. Major Topics and Activities Include: Introduction to SAR; SAR Equipment;
Navigation and Wilderness Travel Skills; Search Skills; Search Management Crucials;
Introduction to Rescue and Essential Rope work; and Survival Skills. Some objectives
of the course are to provide:
 Guidance to SAR field responders on the best practices and techniques to
use, and is designed to be used by both new SAR field responders, and
experienced SAR field and management personnel.
 Information about the duties and tasks of SAR field responders.

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 Current information on SAR field responder clothing, equipment, and how

to best utilize these items.
 Details on the latest search techniques, what methods work best, how to
search in the field, and how to get the best results during a search.
 Information on SAR specialties such as tracking, survival, emergency
medical care, and subject packaging and transport.
Phase Two: Conduct of a sports competition. At the conclusion of the SAR course,
target beneficiaries are to participate in a sports tournament, dubbed as ResQ
Olympics. This sports activity shall be likewise organized, sponsored and supervised by
the Office of the Mayor, Liga ng mga Barangay of San Quintin , PNP, Red Cross,
MDRRMO and affiliate EMS. Aside from fostering esprit d’ corps, sportsmanship and
camaraderie among the competitors, this endeavor is intended to assess and gauge the
degree of competency and/or mastery of newly trained SAR responders on various life-
saving techniques. It also evaluates tactical readiness and operational
responsiveness of individuals working as teams in various simulated life threatening
disaster scenarios in the contest proper.
In ResQ Olympics, the events in the competition include different search and rescue
techniques such as stretcher handling, lifesaver, knot tying, rappelling, CPR etc. for
individuals and team categories
A certain set of governing rules and regulations, in measuring the speed, agility or
strength, etc. of contestants are to be established. Key result areas, standards and
criteria in judging other factors affecting the performance of contestants in the
tournament are to be formulated and enforced by the sports coordinators.
The specific schedules, timelines, scope, extent, duration, mechanics, technical,
financial, sociological considerations and other aspects of the project proposal are
still to be deliberated upon by proponents, major stakeholders, organizers and sponsors
and concerned groups.

Benefits/anticipated outcomes
Career opportunities and avenues for professional growth await successful contenders.
Over all Champions, who have manifested exceptional skill, competency and dexterity
in above-mentioned events, shall be qualified, deputized and eventually hired as regular
employees in the MDRRMO of San Quintin. Like government employees, they are
eligible to receive salaries and wages, cost of living allowances, clothing allowances,
stipends, incentives, monetary assistance, loans, bonuses other benefits and privileges
befitting their ranks/positions in their assigned government offices/agencies. In order to
enhance their talents and expertise, further schoolings in advanced SAR techniques
such as Swift water rescue, flatwater/marine rescue, avalanche operations, tracking,
SAR dogs, long line, mountain rescue, road rescue, rescue communications, wilderness

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medicine, SAR management and other scholarships/ educational pursuits are also
possible. Hence, they are given a steady source of income and a stable employment to
provide for the needs of their families.

The rest of the participants shall be deployed to SAR units with their comrades in the
BDRRMCs (Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council) in their respective
communities. They will be fielded and be mobilized as quick reaction forces to respond
to emergencies and calamities within their designated AORs, as the need arises.

For drug users, voluntary surrender means amnesty, convalescence, and counseling.
They are also given scholarships, livelihood trainings, and loans in the long run in order
to financially support their families. . For the reformists this means a second lease on
life by mending their ways and abandoning their destructive, counterproductive habits
they had acquired by their dependency on drugs.

Support Needed & Costs

Source of funding, logistics and budgetary allocation for the proposed project are still
under study.

Contact Persons
 The Municipal Mayor, San Quintin, Pangasinan
 PNP PPSC
 MDRRMO

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