Vice President Robredo seeks Church’s help in drug rehab

PALO, Leyte, Sept. 20 (PNA) -- Vice President Leni Robredo has asked the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) to partner with the government in crafting a community rehabilitation program for self-confessed drug dependents.

During his visit to Leyte province on Tuesday, Robredo said she asked CBCP President Socrates Villegas for the Church to take part in the rehabilitation of drug surrenderers, who are not prioritized in the residential program.

“The Catholic Church will be very glad to take on being a partner of the government in crafting a very good community rehabilitation program. This is to show the partnership of non-government organizations in all areas of governance,” Robredo said.

The Vice President revived the partnership of the religious organization and the government after learning that only 10 percent of the 700,000 self-confessed drug users can be admitted in rehabilitation centers.

The 630,000 surrenderers will undergo a community-based rehabilitation or outpatient program.

Those committed to the residential program are considered to be in “complicated or advanced” form of drug use.

Drug users who are qualified for the community-based rehabilitation can already be assisted by local officials and social workers since they are just experimental users.

There is also the outpatient component, which includes the ones referred to primary health care professionals but need not be placed in rehabilitation facilities.

The health department has been training local health workers and social workers to carry out a community-based rehabilitation program.

The Vice President’s proposed partnership between government and the Catholic Church was patterned after the Ugnayan ng mga Barangay at Simbahan (UBAS), advocated by her late husband, Jesse Robredo in Naga City.

Robredo was in Leyte on Tuesday to keynote the 38th National Social Action General Assembly (NASAGA) hosted by the Archdiocese of Palo in the province. The assembly is the biennial gathering of all the social action workers of the Catholic Church from the national level down to the different diocesan social action centers and commissions.

After the event, the Vice President visited some housing projects for super typhoon Yolanda survivors in this town and nearby Tacloban City. Robredo heads the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council. (PNA)

CVL/SARWELL Q. MENIANO