ASSESSMENT OF ANTI-ILLEGAL DRUGS CAMPAIGN IN LUCENA CITY BEFORE AND DURING THE PANDEMIC

n the Philippine context, problems with illegal drugs and addiction became one of the most prevalent societal issues. To mitigate the problem, the Philippine government launched a nationwide anti-drug campaign based on enforcement-led antiillegal drugs policies primarily implemented by the national police. There are few and existing literature regarding drug campaigns in the Philippines. Thus, the researchers have seen this research gap as an impediment to conducting the present study. This will contribute to the knowledge gap on anti-drugs and it will bring numerous awareness. Moreover, this study used the descriptive–quantitative research design. Respondents of the study were the selected citizens and selected police/law enforcers in Lucena City. The main instrument used to gather information and data was a self-administered questionnaire. An interview was also conducted to verify and clarify some information taken from the respondents. The data were analyzed using frequency counts and percentages The findings of the study will redound great benefits to the law enforcers and the society as a whole. The effectiveness of anti-illegal drug campaigns in Lucena City was successful during the pre-pandemic period, but as the pandemic progressed, it became more challenging due to mobility constraints and an increase in drug consumption. More needs to be done. A comprehensive assessment of the anti-illegal drugs campaign in Lucena City before and during the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed mixed results, with some areas experiencing an increase in drug activities due to decreased surveillance. Potential improvements include better coordination between stakeholders and improved social services provision. Based on the findings the overall weighted mean for Drug Supply Reduction is 4.11, 4.13 for Drug Prevention, 4.03 for Community Awareness, and 3.92 for Community Intervention and Productivity which were all rated as agree. This means most of the respondents view this action as effective as War on Drugs created a positive response and viewpoint in the community