ILOILO CITY — The central office of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has chosen Jamindan, Capiz as its pilot area in Western Visayas for the ‘Balay Silangan’ program intended for drug personalities in the region.
“Balay Silangan” is a drug reformation program that offers temporary refuge with the objective of reforming drug offenders into self-sufficient and law-abiding members of society.
The program is mainly intended for drug dependents and pushers, Thessa B. Albano, Deputy Regional Director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency 6 (Western Visayas) said in an interview on Wednesday.
“Since we are conducting drug-clearing operations, we have community-based rehabilitation centers by the Department of Health but one of the main problems of PDEA is we do not have a rehabilitation program for drug dependents and pushers,” she said.
“That is the purpose of Balay Silangan. It will provide counseling and other necessary interventions for our drug personalities,” she added.
Based on the website of PDEA, the program provides general interventions, among them continuing education and health awareness, and psychological/spiritual/physical activities such as counseling, moral recovery, values formation, personal and life skills.
It will also provide livelihood and skills training programs, including soap-making, massage training, basic carpentry, welding, haircutting and other employment opportunities.
However, Albano said they still have to decide when to launch the program in Capiz as they are still in the process of preparing for would-be beneficiaries of the program. (PNA)
