Under 2017 budget; Cebu rehab centers get P66 million

CEBU, Philippines - Although there are no plans yet to establish a public drug treatment and rehabilitation center (TRC) in Cebu, the province will get about P66 million under the 2017 national budget to upgrade its existing  rehab facilities.

The fund is part of the P570 million the Department of Health has allocated to construct, upgrade, expand, and repair 16 public TRCs across the country in support of President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on illegal drugs, said Surigao del Sur Representative Johnny Pimentel, member of the House appropriations committee.

The rehab facility in Argao town, about 70 kilometers south, has been allocated a budget of P54.08 million while P11.7 million has been earmarked for another center in Cebu City.

Welcome

Ivy Durano-Meca, director at the Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Office, welcomed the development, saying the Argao TRC, the only DOH-accredited and government-owned rehabilitation center in Cebu province, needs financial assistance for its upgrade.

She, however, said she still did not yet know what the fund was exactly intended for, especially since the congress just approved the national budget yesterday.

Meca said the CPADAO has been coordinating with the management of Argao TRC on what kind of help the Capitol could provide for the facility.

“We’ve been asking them, especially if it’s located within an area (owned by) the province. But we did not hear anything from DOH to what extent that the province will be able to help sa operation, kung sa facility ba or sa personal ba. Whatever it is, the province is more than willing to extend,” she said.

In Cebu City, the allocation also drew a positive reception.

“We welcome that,” said Dr. Alice Utlang, head of the Cebu City Office of Substance Abuse and Prevention.

Even with the huge number of drug users who have surrendered through Oplan Tokhang, Utlang said there are still many who have not yielded and need to undergo treatment and rehab.

Utlang said the additional fund will be beneficial not only to those who want to be rehabilitated but also their families who no longer need to shell out money for the rehab services.

Can’t force them

But the COSAP chief said not all who yielded in Oplan Tokhang would actually want to undergo rehab.

As an example, she cited the city’s “We Care” program that initially listed 100 drug users wanting to seek medical help, but less than 50 showed up.

“We cannot force them,” Utlang said.

Utlang said drug dependents can voluntarily go to rehab if they are not convicted, but those with a case already are required to get into rehab if the court orders them so.

This is in reference to Section 54 of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 in which drug dependents may apply to the Board or its duly-recognized representative for treatment and rehabilitation of the drug dependency.

“Upon such application, the Board shall bring forth the matter to the Court which shall order that the applicant be examined for drug dependency.”

The law, under Section 62 of RA 9165, supports the rehabilitation of drug dependents if they are penalized with less than six years and one day imprisonment. If the court finds him/her dependent after medical examination, the court will file an order for treatment and rehabilitation in a center.

New Centers needed

Yesterday, Pimentel said the fresh P570 million funding will be spent entirely to build up the infrastructures of government-run residential TRCs, with the aim of enabling them to accommodate a larger number of users.

“The new money has been included in the House-approved 2017 General Appropriations Act. It will be sourced from the budget for the Health Facilities Enhancement Program,” Pimentel said.

Aside from Argao and Cebu City facilities, other TRCs that will get a share of the funding are those in Bicutan, Taguig City (P51.31 million); San Fernando, La Union (P15.00 million); Bauko, Mountain Province (P65.00 million); Ilagan, Isabela (P20.26 million); Pilar, Bataan (P20.02 million); Pampanga (P60.00 million); San Fernando, Camarines Sur (P24.20 million); Pototan, Iloilo (P8.25 million); Dulag, Leyte (P4.19 million); Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte (P20.00 million); Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay (P20.00 million); Cagayan de Oro City (P11.00 million); and Davao City (P34.99 million, for two centers).

Meanwhile, Cebu Governor Hilario Davide said that he will write to Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Obialto reconsiderthe exclusion of Cebu province in the building of new rehab centers.

“I was hoping nga ang apil gyud unta ang province kay as I read the news, mostly sa nangadakpan (alleged drug users) are from Cebu so nindot gyud unta nga naa sad diri sa province kay ang pamilya sa mga surrenderers kay naa raman sad diri,” Davide said.

Vice Governor Agnes Magpale backed Davide’s the plan to appeal to DOH.

 “Yes, we must write to the DOH. Kay daghan gyud kaayo surrenderers gud from the province. Ivy (CPADAO director) gave us an information nga there are more than 37,000 surrenderers in Cebu. We really need (new) rehabilitation centers in Cebu,“ she said. — (FREEMAN)