Four rehab centers to rise in 2017, says DILG

LINGAYEN – To accommodate the increasing number of drug personalities who surrendered to the government, the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte is set to establish four rehabilitation centers in the country in 2017.

Speaking before the participants of the Anti-Illegal Drug Summit held on Friday in Sison Auditorium in this town, Interior and Local Government Secretary Ismael Sueno announced the drug rehab projects pointing out that two will be put up in Luzon and one each in Visayas and Mindanao.

 “Not only Filipinos in the country but Filipinos and foreigners outside the Philippines have volunteered to help in putting up this rehabilitation centers,” Sueno said.

He said that President Duterte has already approved the fund for the construction of these centers next year.

Records of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) show that at least 686, 458 drug users and 48, 453 pushers have turned themselves in to the authorities from June 30 to September 8 this year.

However, Sueno did not specify the number of drug users who would require rehabilitation.

Sueno said further that the construction of a big rehabilitation center will cost more than P300 million each while a community rehabilitation center which is a smaller center, needs funding for about P150 million to P200 million each.

He added that big rehabilitation centers can house at least 1,000 to 1, 500 individuals while community rehabilitation centers have 300 to 500 bed-capacity. (PIA-1, Pangasinan)