A Year of Consolidation and Commitment
As 2025 draws to a close, we look back at how the ISSUP Philippine Chapter steadily consolidated its foundations despite setbacks, further laying groundwork for sustainable growth in the fields of substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery. Throughout 2025, we navigated a dynamic environment shaped by shifting government priorities, severe weather disruptions, and financial constraints. However, we remain committed to our service of addiction professionals across the Philippines.
Much of the Chapter’s work in 2025 centered on re-evaluating and reframing its steps forward; plans that seemed to be set in stone were found to be infeasible due to changes in both local and global settings. As such, the Chapter chose to shore up its own resources in order to be able to act with greater leeway in the future, despite external circumstances. These efforts continue in the background, with a key part being obtaining the government licenses and certifications necessary for the Chapter to hold training activities with complete independence.
Now, the Chapter prepares for 2026 with a focus on holding training and educational initiatives that are less resource-intensive and accessible. As such, webinars and virtual training workshops will become indispensable platforms for the Chapter. At the same time, we recognize that some training initiatives will benefit an in-person setting more than a virtual one; the Chapter has plans to hold such trainings in 2026 as well. The Chapter’s learnings from its attendance in the 2025 Regional ISSUP Conference in Bali, Indonesia also directly informed the Chapter’s planning conversations, especially in emerging illicit substances and Alternatives to Incarceration (ATI).
Policy Engagement: Persistence Amid Constraints
The Chapter continues to present itself as an advocate and technical advisor for amendments to the Republic Act 9165 (also known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002) and the Philippine Anti-Drug Strategy (PADS). While shifting priorities among our partners temporarily slowed this momentum, we continue to seize opportunities as they come, prioritizing lasting long-term policy change.
The Chapter’s active participation in the Sin Tax Coalition further illustrates this persistence. We continue to contribute evidence-based perspectives in the advocacy for reduced alcohol consumption. The current focus the Chapter and the Coalition is to communicate the unseen harms of alcohol use to the public, and cultivate the reception of reduced alcohol use and ultimately imposing a ‘sin tax’ on alcohol products.
Service, Research, and the Reality of Delay
Unfortunately, severe weather and financial constraints forced the postponement of several in-person training workshops, including those for Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Rather than viewing these delays as failures, however, we treat them instead as lessons in resilience and a commitment to serving addiction professionals. The Chapter made decisions to delay these in-person trainings instead to preserve their effectiveness, rather than dilute them by holding online trainings.
2025 was another year of groundwork for the ISSUP Philippines chapter. While it is unfortunate that many of our activities were delayed, we nonetheless commit to quality initiatives rather than to cut corners. As we enter 2026, the Chapter has clearer priorities, stronger internal structures, and renewed confidence in its role toward representing and serving the Philippine addiction field.
