Drug rehab center to rise in Marawi

MARAWI CITY —  Authorities welcomed the pledge of the Ayala Foundation to put up a drug reformatory center here in support of the city government's anti-narcotics campaign.

Chief Superintendent Reuben Theodore Sindac, regional police director of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, on Wednesday said the project will complement the efforts of Marawi City Mayor Majul Gandamra to reintegrate reformed drug dependents into mainstream society.

The construction of the center will commence in February, according to Salma Jayne Tamano, provincial information officer of Lanao del Sur.

"This project will also benefit Lanao del Sur province. This is a project we in the Philippine National Police ought to support," Sindac said.

Marawi City is the capital of Lanao del Sur, which has 39 towns. Both areas are within ARMM, which also covers Maguindanao in central Mindanao and the island provinces of Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.

Gandamra and representatives of the Ayala Foundation signed on Tuesday a memorandum of agreement outlining bilateral cooperation in constructing the facility in Marawi City.

The event, held at the Ayala Museum in Makati City at 3 p.m. Tuesday, was witnessed by Tamano and business tycoons Jaime Zobel de Ayala and Fernando Zobel de Ayala.

Tamano represented Lanao del Sur Gov. Soraya Alonto-Adiong to Tuesday's engagement between the city government of Marawi and the Ayala Foundation. Adiong is the presiding chairperson of the Lanao del Sur provincial peace and order council.

Gandamra, a first-termer, said he is thankful to the Ayala Foundation for committing support to his administration's bid to address the drug problem hounding Marawi City.

Tamano said the center shall have state-of-the art amenities needed to hasten the rehabilitation of drug dependents.

ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman, chairman of the inter-agency regional peace and order council, said his administration will support the project too.

Hataman said the assistance extended by the Ayala Foundation to the Marawi City government is a tacit "vote of confidence" for the Gandamra administration.

"We in the ARMM government are thankful to the Ayala Foundation for this commendable humanitarian intervention," Hataman said.