50% of Cebu surrenderers complete rehab program

CEBU, Philippines — At least 3,675 out of 7,221 drug surrenderers in Cebu province have completed the drug rehabilitation program of the different towns and barangays.

They came from barangays that were declared drug-cleared by the anti-drug oversight committee of Province of Cebu according to Ivy Durano-Meca,  chief of Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Office (CPADAO).

Meca said some of them have already found jobs after several months of undergoing community-based rehabilitation program in their respective local government units.

Meca added they will continue to monitor the reformed surrenderers even if they have already graduated from the drug rehabilitation program.

"Mao na nga continous monitoring gihapon so even if they graduated but still there must be a drug testing for them after the aftercare program," Meca said.

The Cebu Provincial Government, through CPADAO, continues to assist different local government units in their efforts to rehabilitate their drug surrenderers in cooperation with the Department of Health.

Meanwhile, the oversight committee is set to gather on March 21 to lay out their plans for the anti-drug programs.

Meca is hopeful that during the meeting, the committee will declare 35 barangays as drug-cleared.

The barangays were endorsed by CPADAO after conducting an assessment.

In Cebu Province, a total of 160 barangays were already declared as "drug-cleared" and the City of Bogo is the first city to be declared as "drug-cleared." —MBG (FREEMAN)