Fort Magsaysay rehab center underway

FORT MAGSAYSAY, Philippines – The first mega drug rehabilitation and treatment center in the country is under construction.

Col. Benjamin Hao, Philippine Army spokesman, said the rehabilitation center is being built on a 10-hectare land in this military reservation, the headquarters of the 7th Infantry Division, Special Operations Command and Army Artillery Regiment.

Hao said the project is a joint venture of the Department of Health and the Army’s real estate office.

President Duterte earlier asked the military to allot at least one hectare of land to build rehabilitation facilities for drug dependents.

The government is also eyeing vacant areas at Camp Macario Peralta in Jamindan, Capiz and Camp Tecson in San Miguel, Bulacan.

Meanwhile, a family in Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya has offered four hectares of their 20-hectare property as the site of another drug rehabilitation center in the province. 

The lot owned by the family of Oca Valencia is located in Upper Magsaysay.

Bayombong Mayor Ralph Lantion said the Valencias offered the property when lawyer John Castriciones of the Department of the Interior and Local Government visited the province recently.  

“We hope the national government will consider the offer as one of the four sites of major drug rehabilitation centers,” Lantion said.