THE Negros Occidental provincial government is preparing for the week-long army wellness camp for drug surrenderers in the province.
Provincial Planning and Development Coordinator Ma. Lina Sanogal said the technical working group is set to convene within the month to identify the drug surrenderees who will undergo the rehabilitation program, which will be the initial batch this year.
Sanogal said they are targeting moderate drug users aged 20 to 30 years old to attend the sessions.
She said the Capitol has allocated P5 million for this year’s rehabilitation efforts, and another P5 million, which will be sourced from the peace and order fund.
Sanogal explained that the P5 million fund coming from the Provincial Peace and Order Council will also cover other programs of the Capitol, not only for its drug rehabilitation efforts.
More than 100 drug surrenderees who have undergone the army wellness camp last year have helped their respective localities in their anti-drug campaign.
“We have no reports that they returned to their old ways. The army wellness camp had a good effect on them,” Sanogal said.
Also, various local government units all over the province have spearheaded their respective rehabilitation programs to address the massive number of drug surrenderees, she said.
She added that the provincial government have extended technical and financial support to these localities.
There are more than 11,000 drug surrenderees in Negros Occidental.