CEBU, Philippines — Central Visayas ranked second in the number of Community-based Drug Rehabilitation Program (CBDRP) graduates nationwide, according to the Department of the Interior and Local Government.
DILG Secretary Eduardo Año said in a statement that of the 178,353 drug surrenderers nationwide, CALABARZON tops the list with 38,973 CBDRP graduates from 99 municipalities and 11,870 graduates from 19 cities.
This is followed by Region 7 with 22,938 CBDRP graduates from 90 municipalities and 1,633 graduates from nine cities.
Placing third is Region 1 with 19,999 CBDRP graduates from 98 municipalities and 3,846 graduates from eight cities.
“Dahil sa pagmamalasakit at pag-alalay ng pamahalaan, marami na ang nagbagong buhay at tumalikod sa iligal na droga sa pamamagitan ng CBDRP,” Año said, adding this is the result three years after the Duterte administration launched the massive anti-illegal drugs campaign.
Under the CBDRP, drug surrenderers who were assessed to have mild to moderate drug affectation are provided with interventions such as psychosocial support, recovery skills, psychoeducation, relapse prevention skills, life skills, family intervention, case management, counselling, education/employment support, among others.
According to DILG, on average around nine out of 10 drug surrenderers have mild cases of drug affectation and they are provided with immediate intervention through the CBDRP while those severely affected are sent to a drug treatment facility.
The DILG is tasked to capacitate all local government units in the creation and functionality of their own CBDRP.
The DILG, along with the Department of Health and the Department of Social Welfare and Development, handles the demand reduction part of the drug problem while the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Dangerous Drugs Board takes care of the supply reduction part.
Graduates of CBDRP are issued a drug clearance certificate by the PDEA. BRP (FREEMAN)