Community-based drug rehabilitation program graduates from Tanauan, Leyte proudly show their Certificate of Recognition during their graduation ceremony held at the Bishop’s Palace, in Palo, Leyte last week. With them are DSWD-FO VIII Regional Director Restituto Macuto (last row, third from left), Tanauan Mayor Pelagio Tecson, Jr. (fifth from left), Palo, Leyte Archbishop John F. Du, D.D. (sixth from left), and other government executives.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) continues to commit support services to former drug users who have surrendered and undergone rehabilitation.

The DSWD, through its Field Office in Region VIII, has committed to provide livelihood assistance to 37 drug surrenderers  from Leyte to help them start anew and bounce back to being active members of  society.

Last week,   the 37 drug surrenders graduated from the community-based drug rehabilitation program sponsored by the local government of Tanauan.  The graduates underwent training and rehabilitation program for eight weeks, including  family counseling and prayer healing.

The graduation, held at the Bishop’s Palace in Palo,  was attended by Tanauan Mayor Pelagio Tecson, Jr., Palo Leyte Archbishop John  F. Du, D.D.,  DSWD-Field Office (FO)  VIII Regional Director Restituto Macuto, and other local executives.

“The DSWD is ready to provide support in whatever way we can to help rehabilitate recovering drug dependents so they can return to their families and to their communities,”  Dir. Macuto said.

DSWD-FO VIII has initially provided financial assistance to the graduates. The Field Office has also committed to give the drug surrenderers livelihood support under its Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP) so they can have decent source of income.

Earlier this month,  some 50 drug surrenderers from Misamis Oriental also received their certificates of completion after finishing the 12-day Community-based Rehabilitation Program facilitated by the DSWD-FO X,  Department of Health (DOH), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Philippine National Police (PNP), and other partner agencies

DSWD Secretary Judy Taguiwalo was pleased to learn that more and more former drug dependents are returning to the fold of society as productive members  through rehabilitation, transformation and reintegration.

The DSWD leads the Pillar III of the administration’s National Drug Rehabilitation Program (NDRP), which refers to the aftercare, reintegration and transformation support for recovering drug dependents.  As the lead agency that will facilitate the NDRP’s Pillar 3, the DSWD with other national government agencies are tasked to provide a wide range of aftercare services to reinforce the transformation and rehabilitation of drug surrenders. These include skills training opportunities, psychosocial programs, and other community-based programs that will encourage them to actively participate in community service through Cash-for-Work (CFW) and Sustainable Livelihood Program (SLP).

The agency has been partnering with Local Government Units  as well as with Civil Society Organizations  and Faith-based Organizations  to implement rehabilitation programs to assist recovering drug dependents. ###