A five-year community-based drug rehabilitation program will soon be established in Lapu-Lapu City.
LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines — Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on Thursday afternoon, June 3, 2021, for the establishment of a Community-Based Drug Rehabilitation (CBDR) project.
The agreement was done in coordination with the City of Lapu-Lapu Office of Substance Abuse Prevention (CLOSAP).
“We see how functional they are, their plans for the city, so we said they would be the best partner to initiate,” Dr. Regina Hechanova-Alampay, USAID, Philippines Chief of Party said.
Alampay, who leads the initiative on “Katatagan Kontra Droga sa Komunidad,” said that Lapu-Lapu City was one of the 20 pilot areas in the country and the sole pilot area in Central Visayas.
She added that USAID’s goal is to help drug users recover, and their families to have access to informal care, community-based rehabilitation, and recovery support to reduce or prevent drug dependence.
The project will last for five years.
Chan, for his part, expressed his gratitude to USAID for recognizing the city’s efforts against illegal drugs and its drug rehabilitation program. /rcg