Hope in a home called Tahanan

MANILA, Philippines - There is a place called “Tahanan” that stands in the way of domestic violence or even death brought on by a drug dependent in the family. Located in Payatas in the 2nd District of Quezon City, which hosts the city’s largest depressed area, “Tahanan” is the Quezon City Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Center. It is one of the accredited rehabilitation centers in the Philippines that requires no payment for board and lodging and participation in its programs that could last from a minimum of six months to one year, and even longer in the case of streetchildren who have nowhere else to go.

“The rehab center is really for Quezon City residents but in reality we accommodate people from adjacent cities and municipalities,” says Renato Gaudiel, Tahanan administrator. “Since the problem does not exist only in Quezon City and drug addiction is nationwide, we have residents from different provinces as well.”

Tahanan is fully funded by the Quezon City government through the Vice Mayor’s Office. It was conceptualized by then Vice Mayor Vicente “Tito” Sotto III – now chairman of the Dangerous Drugs Board, which oversees the national government’s anti-drug abuse program – but became fully operational during the term of Charito Planas, who baptized the rehab center as “Tahanan.”

Current Vice Mayor Herbert Bautista, who is the Chairman of the Quezon City Anti-Drug Abuse Advisory Council (QCADAAC), saw to the center’s expansion such that it now has a bed capacity of 500 from only 100 when it was begun in 1990. From a budget of P12 million before 2001, the Vice Mayor’s Office now allocates P50 million per year for the upkeep of Tahanan. Over the past 18 years, Tahanan has served over 10,000 drug dependents, most of them under the age of 25.

According to Gaudiel, Vice Mayor Bautista has also created regular positions for rehab center staff to ensure consistency of services even if there is a change in political leadership. 

Expansion was timely because Tahanan has seen its resident population growing significantly since Republic Act 9165, the “Comprehensive Dangerous Drug Act of 2002,” came into force. Aside from drug use becoming more rampant with the street proliferation of shabu, RA 9165 mandated the rehabilitation of streetchildren found to be drug dependent. As a result, Tahanan has become a default destination of sorts for streetchildren caught by law enforcers snorting solvents like rugby.

Gaudiel says the number of voluntary submissions, or cases in which the drug user submits to rehabilitation, has also been on the rise. He says this reflects the growing awareness among families living with a drug user that addiction can be cured. In many cases, voluntary submission to treatment and rehabilitation keeps drug users from spending up to 12 years in jail, the penalty for second offenders.

“There is a social stigma to drug addiction. We think that once an addict, always an addict. That’s why many parents refuse to surrender their drug-addicted children. Whether they are rich or poor, people are ashamed to admit that there is an addict in the family and so instead of going for rehabilitation, they resort to self treatment,” says Gaudiel.

At Tahanan, residents go through a rigorous treatment program anchored on the Therapeutic Community (TC) approach. During the first 45 days at the rehab center, a resident is not allowed to have any contact with the outside world, as this is the reflective phase and adjustment period where he or she goes through natural detoxification through a daily routine of physical activities.

The transitional phase happens between the first and third months in which the focus is on the moral, psychological and emotional needs of the resident. In this stage, residents learn to address their negative attitudes and recognize their addiction.

On the fourth up to the sixth month, residents typically enter the recovery stage where they focus on spiritual activities, social and family relationships in preparation for the reintegration with their respective families and the community. Tahanan also provides extended care of up to 18 months during which after care sessions and follow up services are conducted, along with constant monitoring and home visitations. If needed, former residents are entered into an in-house relapse program.

Gaudiel says family acceptance is crucial to drug treatment and rehabilitation. This is why weekly visits are encouraged in which the residents have dialogues with their families.

“We believe that the family is a great help in the rehabilitation program of a drug dependent. Why? Because after 6 months in the rehab center, they return to their families. If their family is not ready for that reintegration, there will be an immediate relapse. In other words, the rehab center is not a guarantee for total rehabilitation. So we orient the family on their role, the personality of a drug addict, and how they can be more accepting to help in the rehabilitation of their family member. So it is a concerted effort where the family, the center staff, and the drug dependent himself each have roles,” he explains. 

Transforming drug dependents into productive members of society is another important element to their successful reintegration with the community. At Tahanan, livelihood programs are given during the recovery stage, including soap-making, candle-making, and rug-making. Proceeds from these crafts are funneled back into the responsible groups, to foster a continuous production and earning cycle like in real life.

This year, Tahanan will expand its livelihood programs into welding and computer literacy. In partnership with private groups, Tahanan will provide basic and advanced welding courses to train residents on skills for local or foreign job placement. The computer literacy course will be designed to train residents as call center agents.

To get these expanded courses going, Gaudiel is consolidating funding to build a livelihood skills training building as the venue for the 3-month and 6-month courses. Other 2009 priorities are the construction of a chapel, visitors’ area lounge, mess hall and administration building; and the purchase of equipment for the training courses, such as computers and tools.

“As Filipinos, we believe that spiritual intervention is the most tool for the rehabilitation of drug dependents. That’s why building a chapel is one of our priorities for 2009,” Gaudiel points out.

There is also a possibility that Tahanan would become the venue for the first streetchildren shelter to be built by the Department of Health (DOH). This was discussed in a meeting late last year with the DOH and the Dangerous Drugs Board, in which Tahanan was presented as a venue for the DOH venture since the Quezon City center already serves as a shelter for streetchildren with drug problems.

It was the plight of streetchildren that prompted Gaudiel to focus his career on the rehabilitation part of the anti-drug abuse crusade. Over the past 24 years, he has seen the drug of choice change from tablets or syrup, marijuana and injectibles in the ‘70s, to shabu in the ‘80s onwards, but the one thing that did not change is the snorting of solvents among streetchildren. He says solvent abuse literally dries up one’s brain. This is why he is keen on addressing the needs of streetchildren, even if they end up practically as permanent residents of Tahanan.

What keeps Gaudiel going is the knowledge that his work has been instrumental in restoring families otherwise ruined by drug dependency. While the outcome is not always positive – some of their rehabilitated residents who used to work as drug pushers have been killed upon their return to the community – Gaudiel says he considers it a major accomplishment to see even one family coming together.

Tahanan is located at Molave Ext., Diamond Hills, Payatas B, Quezon City, Philippines. If you wish to donate or assist Tahanan in any way, please contact them at 427-1474 and 430-8743.