THE national government is set to spend P3.1 billion next year to assist the massive number of drug surrenderers nationwide.
Negros Oriental Third District Representative Arnulfo Teves Jr. said the funding is included in the 2017 appropriation of the national government.
Teves, a reformed drug user himself, was among the speakers in yesterday’s Regional Local Governance Summit held at L’ Fisher Hotel in Bacolod City attended by the mayors, barangay captains, chiefs of police, and representatives of concerned line agencies of Negros Island Region.
He said that P1.2 billion will be allocated for the in-house drug rehabilitation program while each local government unit will receive P750,000 for their community-based treatment programs.
The P750,000 allocation for all localities nationwide is the government’s aid for their outpatient drug rehabilitation program, which could address the growing number of drug surrenderers in their respective areas, he added.
Teves said the implementing rules and regulations of the drug rehabilitation program is still being finalized, he said.
Moreover, the P200 million will be allocated for the outsourcing of drug treatment to private-run drug rehabilitation facilities.
“This means, the government will pay P50,000 per addict if enrolled in a private rehabilitation center, and it’s good for 40,000 addicts,” he added.
Anthony Nuyda, officer-in-charge of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in NIR, urged local chief executives to start initiatives in their localities to help drug dependents.
If there is a massive number of drug surrenderers in their localities, the LGUs need to introduce programs on how to handle them.
During the summit, possible sources of funds for the anti-drug campaign were also tackled, which include Peace and Order Fund, Confidential Fund, and 20 percent Development Fund.
Nuyda said the drug rehabilitation program would depend on the degree of the drug problem, number of drug surrenderers, and the availability of funds in every LGU.
He said the government is seeking the support of every LGU, like “funding and space,” as “it should be a whole government approach in addressing this problem.”
As of now, there are more than 25,000 drug surrenderers in NIR.