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3,989 surrenderers finish drug rehabilitation in Cordillera

By Liza Agoot

November 19, 2018, 4:03 pm

BAGUIO CITY-- The Police Regional Office Cordillera (PROCOR) has recorded a total of 3,989 finishers of the community-based and Philippine National Police-initiated drug rehabilitation program in the Cordillera, the PROCOR Information Officer said Monday.

Police Supt. Pelita Tacio said this was after 132 more drug surrenderers in Buguias, Benguet completed the ”Sinag sa Pagbabago” of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the local government unit of Buguias’ “GILAS 2” Recovery Wellness Program (RWP) on Nov. 15.

There are 11,236 drug surrenderers registered in the Cordillera from the start of the term of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Since 2016, most of the surrenderers have undergone and completed the community-case drug rehabilitation program and the PNP-initiated drug rehabilitation.

Of the 3,989 finishers, some 1, 468 came from the province of Benguet and the remainder from Baguio and five other provinces comprising the region.

Aside from the finishers, there are 2,091 currently undergoing the recovery and wellness program in the different provinces of the region.

Buguias program

In December 2017, a total of 165 surrenderers in Buguias comprised the first batch of graduates, who finished the 10-month community-based drug rehabilitation program of the local government, which they tagged as “prodigal son” symposium under the GILAS-Buguias program.

GILAS-Buguias is an acronym comprised of Kankanaey words meaning “a group of sons of Buguias who support the town’s progress”. It was formed in 2016 after President Duterte encouraged those engaged in illegal drugs to voluntarily surrender and avail of the services of the government.

Tacio said the 132 new graduates underwent several wellness and recovery modules, coaching and therapeutic sessions handled by specialist and facilitators.

“Series of lectures, practicum, immersion, and application are contained in the PNP program of instruction. The graduates are advised to apply what they have learned from the RWP and not to revert back to their old ways,” Tacio said.

Buguias town had 585 surrenderers at the start of the term of President Rodrigo Duterte.

With the addition of the new graduates, there are now 297 from Buguias who have finished the drug reformation program.

Mayor Ruben Tindaan in a telephone conversation on Monday said the others who were unable to undergo the program are still required to go through the rehabilitation program of the government.

“In our town, the residents are obedient to authorities. They follow and believe in what their authorities tell them,” Tindaan said in an earlier interview with the Philippine News Agency.

The province of Benguet recorded 2,608 drug surrenderers. A total of 1, 468 from the province have finished the local government-initiated recovery and wellness program.

Aside from the those who recently completed the program, there are still 241 surrenderers undergoing the drug rehabilitation program jointly conducted by the Benguet provincial police office and the provincial government of Benguet.

Family support

In a statement relayed by Tacio, she said that PROCOR Regional Director, Chief Supt. Rolando Nana urged the families of the surrenderers to help their kin so that they will not be tempted to return to their illegal activity.

He also has encouraged the graduates [132 who graduated on November 15 to be advocates of the program in their respective barangays.

Nana also reminded them to avoid the temptation of going back to illegal drugs. (PNA)

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