Lingayen – The Armed Forces of the Philippines vows all-out support to the Provincial Government of Pangasinan’s anti-drug abuse campaign.
Col. Milfredo Meligrito, the highest ranking Armed Forces of the Philippines officer in Pangasinan, stated as he disclosed details of meeting with Governor Amado “Pogi” I. Espino, III last August 8 at the Urduja House, Capitol Compound here.
“The Philippine Army would be very happy to partner with the provincial government in helping the wayward to get back on the right track,” he said.
The 702nd Brigade Commander has pledged to lend the Camp Lt. Tito Abat, the 1st Regional Community Defense Group headquarters located in Manaoag, as the province’s rehab/boot camp’s facility where the youth drug dependents will be housed for group therapy and renewal.
“This is in accordance with the directive of President Rodrigo R. Duterte to use military camps for drug rehabilitation program. Basically the provincial government will use our military facility and our personnel… We can request for the division army to send the needed doctors and nurses for the camp,” he said.
To cater to more patients, the provincial government is planning to build more facilities in the camp, in addition to the immediately available building for its drug treatment program can accommodate up to 200 youth surrenderees, said Col. Meligrito.
Col. Meligrito, who just assumed position four months ago, lauded Pangasinan for being “very peaceful and a progressive province.”
Governor Espino, in a separate interview after the meeting with Meligrito, confirmed that the Provincial Government of Pangasinan pushes for a series of rehab/boot camp as its “new avenue” in rehabilitating youth drug surrenderees who are still considered “moderate” drug users
The anti-drug abuse treatment effort will roll out by early September, programmed to run 3-4 days for every single batch composed of 120-150 drug users.
“In just six weeks since the call of President Duterte or drug dependents to submit themselves to the law has started, we already have 9,000 drug surrenderees in Pangasinan alone. So we thought of how we could help them better, especially the youth who want to start over their lives or to study again,” he said.
To ease holistic transition of a patient from narcotics addiction to an improved life, Gov. Espino said that the medical treatment will include physical fitness exercises, community development clinics and religious and psychological counseling sessions as provided by a collaboration among allied government agencies.
On the other hand, the provincial chief executive admitted that members of the Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council are still studying the appropriate intervention for higher levels of addiction.
He also said that mandatory random drug testing for provincial officials and employees will commence during the staging of the rehab/boot camp for youth drug dependents.
Earlier, Pangasinan Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer Col. Rhodyn Luchinvar Oro, said that the memorandum of agreement is currently underway to formalize cooperation between the Philippine Army and the provincial government for the rehab/boot camp program.