Tokhang: A Phenomenological Research Study on the Lived Experiences of Drug Surrenderees

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Drug dependence has been a growing phenomenon in our country. In 2017, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) pegged the estimates at 4.7 million users. Of the 42, 036 barangays in the country, 49.67 percent, or 20, 872 barangays, are considered drug-affected. To end the problem of drug abuse and addiction in the country, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte urged PNP Chief Ronald dela Rosa to launch the anti-drug operation called Oplan Tokhang. Through this campaign, drug personalities were urged to turn themselves to the government and quit from their involvement in the illegal drugs. This study was undertaken to explore the lived experiences of drug surrenderees from one of the barangays in San Francisco, Quezon.

METHODS

Qualitative method was executed to acquire a deeper understanding and knowledge regarding the experiences of drug surrenderees. A phenomenological research design under the qualitative method was initiated. Three drug surrenderees who signed an informed consent prior to any discussion regarding the research question or data collection participated in this study. The researcher initiated data collection during a two-hour semi structured interviews. The semi structured interviews were guided by the four established research questions. Forms of data used for this research included participant interviews and audio recordings. All notes and audio recordings received a numeric code to protect confidentiality of the participants’ responses.

RESULTS

After a thorough deliberation based upon the interviewer narratives, three (3) major themes were developed: Isolation, Dependence, and Fear: The Key to Recovery. The themes were picked from the narratives and were justified by the co-researchers as well.

DISCUSSIONS

Isolation was the first theme to unravel after meticulous deliberation from the narratives. This theme describes the feelings of the co-researchers before they engaged in illegal drugs. The feeling of being alone greatly affected each co-researcher and this ledthem to try illegal drugs. Next theme to surface was Dependence. Co-researchers admitted that at first they use illegal drugs for leisure until it became a habit. The last theme was Fear: The Key to Recovery. This theme characterizes the thoughts and viewpoints of the co-researchers after Oplan Tokhang was enforced and how they managed to move forward and quit from using illegal drugs. Co-researchers disclosed that turning in themselves to the police is better than facing death.