A TOTAL of 202 former illegal drug users are now all set to reintegrate themselves into the community as “clean and reformed” citizens after graduating from San Simon town’s community-based rehabilitation program.
The said graduates are the pioneer “products” of the “Balay Silangan,” the first reformation center facilitated by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Central Luzon, with the cooperation of the local government, Philippine National Police (PNP), Department of Interior and Local Government and Department of Health.
According to the town chief police Chief Inspector Louie Gonzaga, the reformists came from the 11 barangays of San Simon who surrendered under the PNP’s Oplan Tokhang, and agreed to be rehabilitated by the government.
He disclosed that the repenting illegal drug users underwent several reformation activities such as intensive physical, moral, mental, social, and spiritual conditioning for their holistic personal development.
He added that the reformists were given livelihood trainings that they can use to provide for their personal and their families’ needs as they reintegrate themselves into the community.
Meanwhile, Gonzaga reminded the reformation center graduates to live with their commitment of totally relinquishing their involvement in illegal drugs, or they will have the face the rule of law next.
“We are hopeful that this will be the last time that their names will be dragged in illegal drugs, because this is the second and last chance that the government gave them, and the next time they do, they are surely putting themselves in jeopardy,” he said.