Local officials collaborate to reopen Davao Oriental’s only drug rehab facility

DAVAO ORIENTAL, Philippines – Davao Oriental’s only drug rehabilitation facility is set to reopen in March after temporarily stopping its operations in July last year. 

The decision to resume the operations of Balay Silangan: Bagong Bahay para sa Bagong Buhay facility was finalized during a recent meeting attended by top officials of the provincial, municipal, and city governments in Davao Oriental, said provincial information officer Karen Lou Deloso.

The facility, which was constructed in 2018, had helped at least 260 people recover from their drug addiction.

Ronald Lad Vidoy, operations head of Balay Silangan, said the capitol has given a service provider, JJV Behavioral Management Center, a fresh contract to run the drug rehabilitation facility.

Vidoy said an initial 30 people with serious substance abuse and addiction problems would undergo a six-month drug rehabilitation program at the facility beginning this March, with a cost of P50,000 for each, much of which would be shouldered by the local governments. 

Each of them would only shell out P4,000 as the province’s 11 mayors agreed that their local governments would shoulder the bulk of their drug rehabilitation expenses.

But Vidoy said the patients could avail of more aid from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) just like in the past.

The majority of them are people addicted to drugs with pending criminal cases in the courts. 

The facility is located in the provincial capital, Mati City, and is the first and only drug rehabilitation facility in Davao Oriental.

Most of such facilities are located in bigger cities like Tagum and Davao.

Davao Oriental Governor Corazon Malanyaon said the Balay Silangan will cater to more drug offenders, helping them to start over with their lives. 

Officials said the provincial government considered the provision of treatment as a priority, and Balay Silangan would be an essential part of its efforts to address the drug problem in the region. – Rappler.com

Ferdinand Zuasola is an Aries Rufo Journalism fellow.