Cebu City’s Balay Silangan to open on Sept. 30
CREMDEC. | Photo courtesy of Alice Utlang.
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City will be launching its Balay Silangan for drug rehabilitation patients on September 30, 2021, at the CREMDEC training center in Barangay Taptap.
Jonah John Rodriguez, the head of the City Office for Substance Abuse Prevention (COSAP), said they will be handling the rehabilitation of 30 individuals from the first batch.
The drug dependents are users or small time pushers from all over the city seeking to turn their lives around.
Rodriguez said the drug dependents will stay for one month inside the facility then continue their rehabilitation program while staying at home for two months.
“This Balay Silangan, mga small time pushers nga walay kaso pero naa sa listahan. Ato na silang nameet a month ago ug na brief unsay mahitabo sa Balay Silangan,” said Rodriguez.
The Philippine Drug Enforcemeny Agency (PDEA) will handle many of the modules, but other agencies such as the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) will also conduct livelihood programs.
The Cremdec facility is only temporary as the COSAP will still propose the renovation of an abandoned city building, still in Taptap, for a permanent facility.
Aside from the Balay Silangan, the community rehabilitation in the barangays will also resume this month. This was stopped due to the pandemic and upon the recommendation of the Emergency Operations Center (EOC).
However, the EOC already allowed the program to continue.
Rodriguez expects all 80 barangays to participate as well because the rehab programs in the villages have been established.
/bmjo
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