THE Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) is now ready to release the P10 million for the construction of a drug rehabilitation center in Bacolod City.
Sally Abelarde, social welfare and development officer IV of the Department of Social Services and Development (DSSD), said Monday, July 16, they already sent the account number of the city for the download of the budget.
The budget will be used anytime to start the construction of drug rehabilitation center in Barangay Alijis, she said.
The City Government has a three-hectare lot along Purok Pedrosa in Barangay Alijis that is currently occupied by the City Agriculture Office. The proposed drug rehabilitation center will have 50 beds.
Abelarde said the construction of drug rehabilitation center will cost P63 million including the facilities and manpower.
She said once the city can liquidate the amount, the DDB is willing to provide for an additional budget.
The City Council had earlier approved a resolution authored by Councilor Caesar Distrito requesting the DDB to provide financial assistance for the establishment of a treatment and rehabilitation center in the city.
Distrito said the DDB had earlier agreed to provide P15 million for the construction of a rehabilitation center and implementation of a drug treatment program.
He said the P10 million will be used for the building construction while the P5 million will be used for the outpatient program.
"I am happy that at last, the City of Bacolod will now have the rehabilitation center of its own because the city is really in need of this building," he added.
Distrito added that this will be helpful to the drug patients or surrenders who want to avail this program and facilities.
Meanwhile, Abelarde said the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) considered to use the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) building in Barangay Taculing for the Balay Silangan Reformation program in the city.
"We are trying to work out the facilities to equip the building for this program," she said.
PDEA had earlier chosen Bacolod City as one of the pilot sites of the Balay Silangan Reformation Program in the country and they inspected the three possible sites at Barangays Mansilingan, Alijis, and the building of CDRRMO.
The three pilot sites have already been inaugurated in the areas of Malungon, Sarangani Province in Mindanao, Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija in Luzon, and in Caloocan City in NCR.
"Balay Silangan," the national drug reformation program, offers temporary refuge with the objective of reforming drug offenders into self-sufficient and law-abiding members of society.
