ILOILO CITY -- More than one-third of the 21,021 persons who use drugs (PWUDs) or drug surrenderers in the region have availed of community-based rehabilitation programs, data from the Department of Health- Center for Health Development 6 (Western Visayas) showed.
Data provided to Philippine News Agency (PNA) by DOH regional senior health program officer John Richard Lapascua on Thursday showed that from January 2018 to June 20, 2019, some 7,510 drug surrenderers have availed of rehabilitation initiated by local government units in Western Visayas.
The PWUDs were screened using the World Health Organization (WHO) alcohol, smoking, substance involvement screening test (ASSIST).
The PWUDs who availed rehabilitation came from Aklan with 1,420; Antique, 575; Capiz, 2,469; Guimaras, 391; Iloilo province, 1,080; Negros Occidental, 162; Iloilo City, 1,268; and Bacolod City, 145.
Last April, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) initiated the opening of Balay Silangan Reformation Centers in Capiz and Iloilo that initially accommodated 50 drug-pusher surrenderers.
Two additional centers are also expected to operate in Alimodian and Miagao, both in Iloilo this coming July.
Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Assistant Secretary for the Office of Brand Integration Ramon L. Cualoping III, who was here on Monday, said the government’s “Rehabinasyon” is still ongoing.
The national government's anti-illegal drug campaign continues to reach out to all stakeholders to ensure that its success is shared by the whole country.
“I think we have huge wins. The past two years, we’ve done a lot of strides and accomplishments in terms of rehabilitating our countrymen,” he said in an interview on the sidelines of the PCOO Roadshow and Freedom of Information campus caravan held at the Iloilo Science and Technology University (ISAT U).
He also emphasized during his talk that the government’s war on drugs “is actually an investment for the future”.
“In fact, the war on drugs is life, life, life. It just so happen and as he (President Duterte) said during the campaign that it will be bloody because our enemies have billions of dollars and are very powerful because their monies have deeply encroach local politics and national politics,” he said.
In his message, he also revealed that the government’s “Tokhang” has produced 1.3 million drug surrenderers, who volunteered and were inspired to change for the better.
“1.3 million is a very good number because it signifies a huge chunk of drug users in this country,” he said. (PNA)
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