PINAMUNGAJAN, Cebu — A 106-bed capacity in-patient rehabilitation center for severely recovering drug dependent will soon be operational in Pinamungajan town, 67.7 kilometers west of Cebu City.
The New Life Center, a facility that sits in a 2,600-square-meter lot in the town’s Barangay Pandacan, has been formally turned over by Globe Telecom, Inc. to the Cebu provincial government on Wednesday, June 19.
The facility worth about P46 million was built by Globe Telecom, Inc. and will be operated by the Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Office (CPADAO).
The facility will cater to both male and female recovering drug dependents who have severe manifestations of drug abuse.
Manuel Pocholo de los Santos, a consultant of CPADAO, said they look forward to formally begin operations in the center by fourth quarter this year.
The in-patient treatment program will cover at least six months before they will endorse the patients for the aftercare or continuing care programs in their respective communities.
“By the third quarter, we are supposed to be hiring [the interventionists and staff]. Hiring and training because this is a specialized area. This is an in-patient treatment unlike those that are enrolled in a community-based rehabilitation program (CBRP) because they are what we call as mild cases. Those who will be going here are severe cases,” de los Santos explained.
De los Santos said they will cater to cases such as comorbidity or double diagnoses, which include paranoia, psychosis or drug-induced anxieties.
De los Santos also said that patients will be asked to pay a minimal amount for the maintenance of the facility.
He said that they will benchmark their charges to that of the national government-run facility in Argao town which is around P15,000 per month.
After a six-month rehabilitation program, the patients will be endorsed to the aftercare program in their respective communities to prevent cases of relapse.
Completers may also enroll in the six-week digital skills training of Virtualahan, a social enterprise which offers modules to capacitate the rehabilitation graduates to land jobs in the digital arena. / celr