TACLOBAN CITY — At least 200 former drug personalities will complete their 45-day skills training, a major program of the Philippine National Police (PNP) regional office here aimed at transforming drug surrenderers and help them reintegrate to the community.
These drug surrenderers, according to PNP Regional Director Chief Supt. Gilberto Cruz are ready to return to normal lives and become productive citizens with the new skills acquired.
“The trainings are designed not just to help them earn money for their own and their family, but become first responders in their communities during calamities and emergencies,” Cruz added.
Courses offered to the surrenderers from the region’s six provinces are motorcycle servicing, service consumer electronic products and systems, food processing, organic vegetables cultivation, organic chicken raising, massage, emergency search and rescue, stress management, traffic management, village peacekeeping operations, self-defense techniques, environmental protection, conflict management, internal security operations, community integration, counseling, and healing.
There will be a graduation ceremony on March 5 at the Araw camp in this town. The Korean Army established the camp as their hub during the emergency phase after super typhoon Yolanda flattened Leyte towns in 2013.
The beneficiaries are expected to become trainers in their respective communities after their learning.
Each of them will receive a training completion certificate and an identification card from the PNP stating that they are fit to work.
Partners of the PNP in this program are the Technical Skills Development Authority, Department of Health, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Tacloban Rescue Unit, Bureau of Fire Protection, the Leyte provincial government, Department of Social Welfare and Development, and private institutions.
On Sunday, the PNP sponsored a fun run dubbed as “Takbo para sa Pagbabago” (Run for Change) to raise funds as start-up capital for the 200 drug surrenderers.
The PNP will start the second batch of training in March enlisting 300 former drug users and traders as participants. (Roel Amazona/PNA)
