By Earl Jed Roque/PNA
MANILA — President Rodrigo R. Duterte underscored the possible gains of adding non-traditional rehabilitation programs in helping drug abuse victims recover and assist other victims as well.
“By complementing traditional rehabilitation treatment with non-medical treatment methods, such as group and individual therapy sessions, meditations, and horticulture and farm animal therapy, you will not just provide holistic care to your patients, but will also empower them to become effective drug and alcohol counselors to their peers who suffer the same predicament,” Duterte said in his speech at the inauguration of the Moscati Meadows Residential Treatment Facility in Laur, Nueva Ecija on Wednesday.
Duterte said addiction treatment centers like Moscati Meadows are in line with his administration’s campaign against the illegal drug problem in the country.
“This is truly in line with this administration’s efforts to combat the drug menace that has plagued our society for so long. I am truly glad that through this center, you will help them recover and find their way back to society,” he said.
“By reforming drug dependents, we do not only effectively combat this scourge, but also give our kababayans (countrymen) a chance to start productive lives anew with their families and loved ones,” he added.
Duterte said the government has made significant gains in its fight against illegal drugs by conducting almost 900 operations in Nueva Ecija alone, leading to more than a thousand arrests.
He cited that in 2018, the Department of Health Treatment and Rehabilitation Centers have also provided more than 4,400 inpatient services and 4,300 outpatient services, with more than 3,500 patients completing the primary care program.
The President called on all Filipinos to actively participate in nation-building by supporting the administration in its campaign against illegal drugs, criminality, and corruption.
“With our firm commitment and solidarity in this important fight, I have no doubt that we will be able to rebuild and strengthen families that were once threatened by this menace. Together, let us keep our communities and country safe, secure, and peaceful,” he said.
Moscati Meadows is a one-hectare residential addiction treatment center, which targets to accommodate up to 50 patients who will undergo a six-month holistic rehabilitation program.
