New P700m drug rehabilitation center to rise in Malaybalay

February 27, 2017

A P700-million drug rehabilitation center will soon rise in Malaybalay, Bukidnon with the signing of a memorandum of agreement between the Department of the Interior and Local Government, and two government agencies and the Friends of the Philippines Foundation (FPF) recently.

The signatories were Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco, Jr. for the Office of the Cabinet Secretary (OCS), Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial , Interior and Local Government Undersecretary John Castriciones.

FPF was represented by Jose Kho.

Present during the ceremonial signing were Evasco, Assistant Secretary Aurora Ignacio from the Office of the President, Assistant Interior and Local Government Secretary Epimaco Densing III, Kitson Kho of Kinming (Xiamen) Real Estate Co. Ltd., as well as Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri.

In a statement, Interior and Local Government Secretary Ismael  Sueno lauded the FPF and the city government of Malaybalay for being effective ‘partners for change’ by financing the construction of a drug rehabilitation center in Bukidnon, and for donating a parcel of land for the rehab facility, respectively.

“I have repeatedly said that the fight against illegal drugs is not the government’s alone.  This is our fight as much as it is yours. I therefore appreciate the efforts of groups like the FPF and the Malaybalay City Government for going the extra mile to help solve the country’s drug woes,” said Sueno.

The soon-to-be built rehabilitation center will provide services such as livelihood programs, capability building activities and skills training for the recovering drug dependents. Aside from this, the facility will also have a sports and recreational center for the drug users as well as a training center for medical practitioners, health workers and volunteers of the taskforce DATRC.

Under the memorandum, the FPF shall bear all the costs relating to the design and construction of the Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Center (DATRC) in Bukidnon.  The health department shall be responsible for and shall bear all costs relating to the operation and maintenance of the DATRC.

Zubiri said Malaybalay was chosen to house the projected rehabilitation center as it is at the center of Mindanao.

There are 44 existing DOH-Accredited Treatment and Rehabilitation Centers, 16 government and 28 non-government facilities. These facilities can only accommodate a total of 6,000 patients.

As of January 16, 2017,  a total of 1,155,819 drug personalities have surrendered, eight to ten percent of whom will need to be committed to a drug facility. DMS