Archbishop Jose Palma celebrates Mass for the 25 drug surrenderers who completed the six-month drug rehabilitation program at the San Roque Parish in Barangay Subandako, Mandaue City. The Church activity was held last Friday.
CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA
CEBU Archbishop Jose Palma is planning to replicate two existing drug rehabilitation programs in Cebu namely SuGod SuGod (Surrender to God) Drug Recovery Program of the Love of God Community, and Labang (Lahat Bangon).
“If possible, these two programs should be replicated and spread throughout the archdiocese so that in our own ways, we could respond to the call of caring for our surrenderers,” he told Cebu Daily News.
“The more the two programs would be replicated, the happier it would be,” he added.
The 66-year-old prelate announced his plan as he called priests, government officials and the police to come together and help drug dependents overcome their addiction.
Palma is also set to meet barangay captains for the launching of the Cebu Archdiocesan Program for Drug Dependents (CAODD).
The archbishop has encouraged different sectors of community to unite as one and provide a sustainable program for drug surrenderers.
He ordered all parish priests and team moderators to make the multi-purpose halls in every parishes available whenever sessions and events for drug surrenderers would be held.
In coordination with barangay captains, priests are also encouraged to extend counseling sessions for drug dependents or refer them to appropriate government agencies or private institutions.
Last Thursday, 25 drug surrenderers in Barangay Subangdaku, Mandaue City, completed the six-month barangay-based recovery and reintegration program organized by the Ugnayan ng Barangay at Simbahan (Ubas) led by Fr. Carmelo Diola.
The first group of drug surrenderers in Cebu who underwent the program were cleared of illegal drug use.
Their road to renewal was deemed a breakthrough by church and government leaders who jointly launched the pilot program for drug dependents in Barangay Subangdaku, Mandaue City, in August 2016.
Palma met on Thursday with each of the surrenderers who completed the program and who are set to proceed to the next phase where they will be given livelihood training.
Meanwhile, San Miguel Corporation is building a network of drug rehabilitation centers in different parts of the country under a P1-billion grant it committed to the government, said Jon Hernandez III, media officer of San Miguel Corportion (SMC), in a statement.
Among the places which are being considered to accommodate the SMC drug rehabilitation centers are Pampanga, Cavite and Cebu.
SMC earlier signed an agreement for the construction of a drug rehabilitation center in Bataan.
“Rehabilitation is a crucial part of the government’s fight against illegal drugs. That is why we are committing to build more facilities around the country to help reform drug dependents especially the youth,” said SMC president and chief operating officer Ramon Ang.