Gov. Hilario Davide III
WITH over 37,000 drug surrenderers recorded, the provincial government urged the Department of Health to include Cebu as a site for building a drug rehabilitation and treatment center.
During the inauguration of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center’s second Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and Neurosurgical Ward over the weekend, DOH Secretary Paulyn Jean B. Rosell-Ubial said the sites they are considering in Central Visayas, for the rehabilitation center is either in Jamindan, Capiz or in Carmen, Bohol.
Gov. Hilario Davide III said he plans to write to the health secretary to urge the DOH to consider Cebu as one of the possible rehabilitation sites, under their proposed 2017 budget.
“I’d like unta ng naa sa province kay daghan man gud kaayo,” he said. “Sa news karon, nakabasa ko, kadtong mga nangamatay, nadakpan nga dagko kaayo nga mga big time, taga Cebu – Sabalones, Jaguar, Yawa, Barok, si Kerwin, nga taga-Hipodromo man diay na.”
(I would like a rehabilitation center in the province because of the sheer number of drug users. I read in the news that the big time suspects arrested or killed were all from Cebu.).
Davide admitted though that the DOH might be looking at a certain characteristics for a location, which they deem ideal for a rehabilitation site, hence the option of building it either in Capiz or in Bohol, but he is hopeful that the Cebu province would be eventually included.
MAGPALE
Vice Governor Agnes Magpale meanwhile said that although it is the local government that has the primary duty to deal with the drug surrenderers, their number had gone beyond what the province of Cebu can accommodate on its own, thus help from the national government is needed.
“Mu-request gyud ta sa national government nga dako man kaayo ang Cebu and then, di baya kay Cebu lang,” she said. “We are catering to the other regions. Although yes, we realize nga ang local government unit has the responsibility also , ug dili ma-afford, daghan man gyud kaayong needs nato, kinahanglan gyud seguro ta ug help.”
(We should ask the help of the national government because Cebu is big and we also cater to other regions.)
Magpale said the Provincial Board will support Davide’s request to the DOH for Cebu to be considered as among the possible sites for a rehabilitation center.