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Recovering drug dependents undergo livelihood training in Caraga

By Noel Najarro

August 16, 2017, 1:38 pm

BUTUAN CITY — Some 15 recovering drug dependents in Agusan del Norte will undergo livelihood training to help them cope with their new lives and become productive members of the community.

Initiated by the Philippine National Police (PNP), the program aims to train recovering drug addicts from the municipalities of Carmen and Nasipit in food and milkfish (bangus) processing, said PNP-Caraga director Rolando B. Felix at the project launch Monday.

Under the program, Felix said the participants will be trained at the Northern Mindanao School of Fisheries based in Buenavista town, where they will be taught by experts from the Technical Education and Skills Development Administration (TESDA).

Felix said the project is part of the government's community-based rehabilitation program, in which some recovering addicts will no longer be placed inside rehabilitation centers. Depending on the severity of the addiction, recovering drug dependents will instead participate in government-led intervention programs in their own communities.

Authorities said the approach will help decongest rehabilitation centers, which could no longer accommodate the growing number of drug dependents.

In Caraga Region alone, the police said the number of recovering drug addicts has grown to 25,000 regionwide—and counting.

Caraga's only drug treatment and rehabilitation center—located in Surigao City—can only accommodate 80 in-patients, the Department of Health (DOH) earlier said.

DOH-Caraga said it has trained local officials to be able to offer treatment and other interventions at community-based rehabilitation centers in their own municipalities.

"The Caraga police fully supports these previous drug dependents who are willing to submit themselves for total recovery from drug addiction, and once again become productive members of our society,” Felix said. (PNA/Noel B. Najarro)

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