Four drug rehabilitation centers with full facilities have been proposed for future construction in Palawan by the provincial government to the Department of Health (DOH)-MIMAROPA Region as a long-term commitment to President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s anti-illegal drugs campaign.
Ma. Teresa Acda, team leader of the provincial government’s Community Enhancement and Livelihood Program (CELP), told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) Monday that Governor Jose Alvarez proposed the establishment of the four drug rehabilitation centers in August last year, or immediately after the “Oplan Tokhang” anti-drug campaign was launched around the country.
“Nag-submit na rin ang province ng proposal letter sa DOH para sa four facilities differently allocated sa Palawan. Of course, it takes time… around three years to four years. Di naman ganoon kaliit ang budget kasi, pero para sa long-term, iyan ang plan (The province already submitted a proposal letter to the DOH for four facilities to be allocated in Palawan. Of course, it takes time… around three years to four years. That is because the budget requirement is not that small, but for the long-term, that is the plan),” Acda said.
She did not elaborate how much budget the drug rehabilitation centers would require.
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The centers were proposed to be constructed in the towns of Brooke’s Point in southern Palawan, and Culion, San Vicente, and El Nido in the northern area of the province.
Brooke’s Point, as of May 4, 2017, had 494 users and pushers who voluntarily surrendered when Palawan started implementing Oplan Tokhang and Double Barrel Reloaded.
Each facility, she said, will have a 150-bed capacity to offer to illegal drug users, who are low-risk and who want to have a fresh start in life.
Right now, however, the province still has no capability to put up full-facility drug rehabilitation centers, Acda admitted, but added that the provincial government is eyeing to put up a halfway home that can hold enough reforming drug users at one time for a 14-week community-based recovery and rehabilitation project.
“In the interim that we don’t have yet the financial capability to put up a full facility rehabilitation center, what the province did is it designed and proposed a community-based halfway house,” Acda stated.
As of May 4, 2017, Oplan Tokhang and the renewed Double Barrel Reloaded have already recorded 4,248 voluntary surrenderers in 22 of 23 municipalities in Palawan, according to Police Provincial Office (PPO), Senior Supt. Gabriel Lopez.
They were logged following the PPO’s implementation of 3,214 house visits. (Celeste Anna R. Formoso/PNA)
