Department of Health (DOH) – MIMAROPA (Oriental/Occidental Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, Palawan) and the Development Academy of the Philippines yesterday signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the assessment and evaluation of the drug rehabilitation programs conducted in the region.
“We need to identify if the five modalities of community-based drug treatment and rehabilitation we have implemented in the five provinces are successful and effective. This will be a formative evaluation and the results are intended to provide analysis and information,” Regional Director Eduardo C. Janairo stated during the MOA signing held at the Development Academy of the Philippines in Pasig City.
“The result of the evaluation will also provide us an evidence-based report where we can further improve the program design and implementation,” he added.
DOH-MIMAROPA has piloted various modalities and key interventions of community-based drug treatment and rehabilitation, including the 30-day advance intensive outpatient treatment rehabilitation program in Oriental Mindoro which combines western and eastern medicine (using Ayurveda) and providing holistic care; one-month community-based drug rehabilitation that provides multi-faceted solution using non-traditional but tested, research and evidence based interventions including life blood analysis, wellness counseling and training including inner healing with music, inspirational talks on life transformation, life coaching and livelihood in Occidental Mindoro.
In Marinduque, the substance abuse rehabilitation/relapse prevention program was implemented for 82 clients with the objective of preventing relapse among patients through the establishment of rehabilitation units that provides screening, assessment, referral and counselling, capacity development of facilitators and counselors, brief intervention including a family member; Life coaching was applied in Romblon, a 5-day wellness program which is designed to help participants in self-discovery and self-management, it is aims to motivate participants to avoid illegal drugs and be focused on how they can change and improve their lives; community enhancement and livelihood project, a 14-week program designed to ensure that the surrenderee will be accepted by the community by leading a productive life by instilling the realities and effects of drugs, personal, spiritual and moral motivation and skills and livelihood training.
According to Janairo, the DAP will evaluate the five modalities by gathering, compiling and analyzing data results based on the relevance, effectiveness, impact and sustainability of the programs. “The evaluation and assessment of the programs will be completed in 3-months.”
Report on the findings and recommendations for future interventions on community-based drug treatment and rehabilitation will then be submitted to the regional office for documentation.
