THE 90-day drug rehabilitation program of the Philippine National Police (PNP)-Northern Mindanao is set to officially start Friday, November 18.
The program dubbed as Camp-based Drug Rehabilitation Program or “Cadre Program” was launched on Wednesday, November 16 at the headquarters in Camp Vicente Alagar, Lapasan, Cagayan De Oro City.
The launching was attended by 60 “Oplan Tokhang” surrenderees from the city.
The PNP spokesperson Police Senior Inspector Mardy Hortillosa II said the 60 surrenderees, whom was endorsed to the program by their village chiefs, were from six villages namely Lapasan, Cugman, Gusa, Barangay 36, Barangay 22, and Barangay 26.
The rehabilitation program, meanwhile, will be facilitated by psychiatrists and psychologists coming from PNP-Northern Mindanao's non-government organization partner, Cagayan De Oro-Pathway to Recovery Foundation, Inc.
The sessions will be held from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and will be held at Camp Alagar.
"We chose to hold the Cadre sessions in these times, 5 to 9 pm, to accommodate all the schedules of the 60 surrenderees because a few of them still has to work at mornings till afternoon," Hortillosa said.
Hortillosa added aside from drug recovery training, Chief Superintendent Noel Constantino, PNP-Northern Mindanao regional director, said they also coordinated with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) and the Oro Chamber of Commerce for further assistance in livelihood.
If a drug surrenderee pass the recovery program, the regional director has partnered with the Tesda to give the participants livelihood training, Hortillosa said.
The Cagayan de Oro Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation, Inc. (Oro Chamber) has also pledged to assist the participants in possible jobs-matching in the future.
“All of these are organized because the director believes that if they still won't be assured of a stable livelihood, this program will lose its purpose of providing life after drugs," Hortillosa explained.
The Police Regional Office-Northern Mindanao is calling on community stakeholders and concerned offices to forward support to their program so that more drug surrenderees can be accommodated in the next months.
"As of now, the Cadre program is highly relying on the funds of the regional office however, we already have some sponsors who have pledged to provide goods like rice and canned goods for the surrenderees. But then, we think that support from more members of the community will allow us to further operate this program for more surrenderies," Hortillosa said.
Hotillosa said PRO-Northern Mindanao regional director is also calling out to other cities and provinces such as Bukidnon, Iligan, Misamis Orienntal and Camiguin to also adapt the camp-based drug rehabilitation program or “Cadre Program” to help them accommodate the 78,000 surrenderees in the region.