TALISAY CITY -- To immediately address the influx of drug surrenderees in Negros Island Region, the Provincial Government of Negros Occidental is adopting the proposed outpatient drug rehabilitation program seen to effectively help drug users at a cheaper cost.
Negros Oriental third district Representative Arnulfo Teves presented the proposal during the Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council (Padac) meeting led by Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. at the Nature’s Village Resort in Talisay City on July 21.
Marañon said the initiative of Teves, a reformed drug dependent himself, is “good and cheap,” that’s why he is supporting it.
“There is a need to implement the rehabilitation program as soon as possible, otherwise, the drug surrenderees will go back to their old ways. Strike while the iron is hot,” the governor added.
Instead of establishing drug rehabilitation centers, the governor said the Provincial Government will have to “do it (drug rehabilitation program) now” with the help of the local government units (LGUs), which will fund the 8 to 12-week program that will cost P2,500 for each patient.
Marañon added that funding would not be a problem should President Rodrigo Duterte approve his proposal to include drug rehabilitation in the coverage of the state-run Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth).
Overview of outpatient program
Under the proposal, the sessions of the outpatient drug program will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays in public school classrooms.
Each classroom, with 50 drug dependents in each room, will be facilitated by two counselors.
The program will last for eight to 12 weeks, depending on the progress of the participant.
During weekday mornings, from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m., there will be Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings at the respective covered courts or gymnasiums of the localities.
Participants have the option to undergo one-hour physical therapy sessions after the Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
After the rehabilitation, it is recommended that reformed users attend 90 meetings in 90 days, attend a relapse prevention program, do service work, and train for livelihood programs of the government.
Teves said that worldwide data showed the average success of drug rehabilitation program is only 20 percent.
He said he hopes to reach 40 percent, “because now there’s willingness from the drug users and that’s good for us.”
Under his proposal, Teves said that the counselors will be reformed addicts, “addicts know best when it comes to addicts.”
During the program, the lawmaker said there’s no need to monitor if the participants will engage in illegal drugs because they will be subjected to random drug test anytime.
“That’s good enough deterrent,” Teves said.
For those who are chronic relapsers and for those who lack interest in the program, they will be recommended to a lock-up rehabilitation facility.
‘Bring to national level’
Negros Occidental third district Representative Alfredo Benitez said he is optimistic that the proposed outpatient drug program will be effective.
“It’s the only program we hear about. We only hear to stop the proliferation of drugs but we have not seen a program to rehabilitate the users. This is the first program that addresses rehabilitation,” he added.
Benitez said that he would like to bring the proposal to the national level, adding that Teves will file a resolution when the 17th Congress convenes.
“I will strongly support that resolution and maybe encourage the Office of the President to come up with some sort of program that is the same to this proposal,” he stressed.
Benitez said that his district will launch the program immediately to make it “a model and a pioneering program for drug rehabilitation.”
He said that he would “use personal funds to get this going.”
“If this becomes effective, then we will go full blast and probably encourage the national government to support this,” he added.
P5-million allocation okayed
During the Padac meeting, the council approved the P5 million allocation for the Capitol’s drug rehabilitation efforts.
Of the amount, P4 million will be allocated to the drug rehabilitation program which will include livelihood skills training; P500,000, for support to law enforcement and demand reduction campaign; and P500,000, for technical and administrative support, which includes coordination meetings and anti-drug abuse activities.
The Padac meeting was attended by the mayors, the police, the army, and officials from partner agencies.
As of July 19, 6,935 drug users and pushers have yielded in Negros Occidental.
Meanwhile, Director Julius Navales of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)-Negros Island Region said the proposed outpatient rehabilitation program would help the government especially when it comes to cost.
“(The proposal) is a good way to start. We’re not expecting a big turnout of surrenderees,” he added.
He said that it would make their job a lot easier. “If there’s no pusher, there’s no demand so there will be scarcity of supply of illegal drugs,” he pointed out.
Navales said they will continue to aggressively campaign against illegal drugs even if there’s already a large number of surrenderees.
“It doesn’t mean if they have surrendered, they won’t be under our watchful eyes. So anytime they engage in illegal drugs, we’re much ready to arrest them,” he added.
Navales said they are now concentrating more on high-value targets.
Rehab center in Bacolod
Meanwhile, the Bacolod City Council approved a resolution requesting the Department of Health and the Dangerous Drugs Board to establish a drug treatment and rehabilitation center in the city.
The resolution, authored by Councilor Caesar Distrito, was approved during the regular session Wednesday.
It said that the establishment of a drug treatment and rehabilitation center will intensively and effectively address the problem of drug abuse and dependence in the city.
“With the subsequent apprehension of drug peddlers and users in the Bacolod, which increases in number every week, it is high time that there should be treatment and rehabilitation center for them to reorient themselves from the damaging effects of illegal drugs,” Distrito said. (With reports from MAP)