10 PB members flying to US for study tour

CEBU, Philippines - At least ten members of the Cebu Provincial Board are set to travel to New York to join a study program on drug rehabilitation from November 10 to 16, 2013.

These officials are Board Members Peter John Calderon, Jude Thaddeus Sybico, Julian Daan, Raul Alcoseba, Grecilda Sanchez, Joven Mondigo Jr., Sun Shimura, Miguel Antonio Magpale, Arleigh Jay Sitoy and Aladin Wilyamie Caminero.

But Board Member Carmen Remedios Durano-Meca, who chairs the PB committee on dangerous drug abuse prevention, is not among those listed to join the tour.

Caminero, the president of the Sangguniang Kabataan Federation of Cebu, will end his term on November 30, 2013.          

Governor Hilario Davide III yesterday said he authorized the 10 board members to travel but it still subject for approval by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).

“You are authorized to charge all expenses for travel and room accommodations and such other expenses relative thereto against the available funds of your respective offices, subject to the usual accounting and auditing rules and regulations,” said Davide in his memorandum dated October 3, 2013.

A registration fee of $1,500 for each official will be collected for the workshop and study tour on “Therapeutic Community (TC) Model for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Substance Abusers” in Daytop Village, New York.

Course topics include “Treatment and Rehabilitation: Diverse Intervention and Treatment Approaches; Clinical Challenges and Integration of Best Practices in Drug Treatment; and Theory of Addiction and the Therapeutic Community”

Participants will also have a chance to visit the Daytop Rhineback TC Facility, and New York City Tour.           

Under the current budget, each board member has an appropriation of P37,500 for foreign travel expenses, P37,000 for training expenses, and P78,000 for transportation allowance.

The Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Commission (CPADAC), which is chaired by Davide, also has P5 million appropriation for the drug abuse prevention program this year.

The board members are expected to arrive in New York City on November 10 and will return to the country on November 16.

In July, Sanchez, a neophyte board member, shared with her colleagues the invitation she got from the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) regarding the one-week study tour for local government officials.

The tour was earlier set for October 20 to 26.

Sanchez suggested to his colleagues to take a look at the seminar, which tackles the science of addiction as well as prevention, treatment and how rehabilitation centers should be run.

The PB then passed a resolution sponsored by Sanchez encouraging elected officials, including congressmen in the province, to attend the training.

In a letter dated October 1, 2013, Daytop International, Inc. assistant vice president Frederick Loke invited the board members to attend the training.

Daytop Village Foundation was established in 1963 to treat and rehabilitate substance abusers in New York. It operates about 20 centers.

Daytop is contracted by the US State Department to provide training and consultation in over 40 countries. —/LPM (FREEMAN)