by BY GILBERT BAYORAN on Fri, 10/14/2016

A plan is up to put up a drug rehabilitation center in Silay City, Negros Occidental, and the city government is now looking for a site for it, in tandem with Rep. Alfredo Benitez (Neg. Occ., 3rd District), Mayor Mark Golez yesterday said.

Golez, however, said it will take time, as they have to comply with mandated requirements.

Yesterday, Benitez said there is need to increase the number of drug rehabilitation centers to accommodate more drug dependents.

Police records show that more than 11,000 drug pushers and users have surrendered in Negros Occidental alone.

The outpatient rehabilitation program of the third district of Negros Occidental that started in Silay City had 49 registered participants and 14 graduated on October 7, former board member Patrick Lacson, who is in charge of the program, said.

He said the reason for the low number of graduates is that they cannot have them all finishing their 8-week program, because they are out-patients, meaning, they still go back to their homes every day, he said.

“Along the way, some went back to drug using. But the good news is that a healthy support group (home group) already exists in the city, before it only existed in Bacolod,” Lacson said.

“One of the most important parts of our program is to introduce them to a local support group regularly, during and after the program,” he added.

He said that based on his and Golez’s assessment of the outpatient treatment program, they will not hold the treatment in batches, and patients will be assisted one by one as they come.

We need the support of the PNP and the barangay officials, as they are the ones who identified and recorded all who surrendered since July, he added.

On October 24, an outpatient program will also begin in Victorias City to be funded by Benitez and the Victorias city government, he said.

Talisay City and the towns of EB Magalona and Murcia will also do the same, but we have yet to finalize our work force and the LGU counterpart, Lacson added.

Benitez admitted that there were successes and failures in the outpatient drug rehabilitation program, which they will further improve in future batches of participants.

Meanwhile, 71 moderate drug dependents also completed the week-long Wellness Camp 2016 at Camp Major Nelson Gerona in Brgy. Minoyan, Murcia, which is also a

project of the Provincial Anti-Drugs Abuse Council, in tandem with the Philippine Army, PNP and other government agencies.

The Diocese of San Carlos is also duplicating the Wellness Camp rehab program in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental.*