DAVAO ORIENTAL—A total of 91 drug reformists in the municipality of Boston have graduated from the Community Based Rehabilitation Program (CBRP) in a ceremony held at the Municipal Parish Hall on October 22, 2019.
The said drug reformists are the first batch of graduates in the municipality of Boston under the Drug Elimination and Accept Reformation (Boston DEAR) program spearheaded by its Municipal Anti-Drug Abuse Council (MADAC).
Boston DEAR is the localized version of the Province’s flagship program against illegal drugs, the Lihok Nagkahiusang Lumulupyo Kontra Droga (Lihok NLD).
Under the program, the reformists undergo various interventions for six months for their total healing process. Interventions administered include values formation, spiritual enrichment, physical fitness, community services, and psycho-social and mental development.
According to Provincial Administrator Art Benjie Bulaong, who at the same time is the Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council (PADAC) Action Officer, said that the graduates, who have just received their certificate of completion for the first phase of the rehabilitation program, will be monitored and evaluated if they are qualified for the scores of benefits offered under the Lihok NLD’s second phase. The benefits include health, education, livelihood, social, and empowerment services.
“So, they are eligible to enroll to phase II which is the aftercare program. It includes skills training, livelihood program, scholarship, and other programs of the government for them,” he said.
As the representative of Governor Nelson Dayanghirang, Mr. Bulaong challenged the graduates to become the government’s partner in its anti-illegal drugs campaign.
“I would like to encourage you to be part of those groups who conduct awareness on the ills of illegal drugs, and to also persuade those whom they knew who still uses drugs. We need your help in informing people about our program for drug offenders,” Bulaong said.
He said that while the Provincial Government is “almost done with our effort on drug clearing,” as only four barangays in the City of Mati are still to be cleared, Bulaong stressed that the campaign is a “continuing effort to prevent other people to engage in illegal drugs.”
“The PADAC, the MADAC, and the BADAC, together with its partner agencies can never achieve a drug-free province without the support of these people. So, we really need them to be part of our intensified campaign against illegal drugs,” he added.
Along with Bulaong, other agencies that are actively involved on drug-clearing activities, such as Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), LGU Officials, and the anti-drug abuse councils in the municipal, and barangay levels are also present during the ceremony.
