THE Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency on Wednesday officially launched a community-based reformation program in four pilot sites in a bid to rehabilitate surrendered drug personalities.
Director General Aaron Aquino introduced “balay silangan,” a program to build temporary shelters for drug offenders aimed at reforming them into self-sufficient and law-abiding members of society.
“The program is reformatory in nature. It is an alternative intervention for drug personalities who are not users and are not eligible to undergo medical treatment and rehabilitation in facilities supervised by the Department of Health,” he said.
The establishment of the program was in pursuant to the Dangerous Drugs Board Regulation Number 2 of 2018 which was approved and adopted on Jan. 24.
According to Aquino, the facilities will be put up in four pilot areas in General Santos City on May 22, Nueva Ecija’s Cabanatuan City on May 24, Capiz on May 26 and Caloocan City on May 30.
“The balay silangan reformation program takes on a home-centered approach that would convince drug offenders to give themselves a second chance in life. The rising sun in the East signals the start of a new day. This runs parallel to the program, heralding a fresh start for drug reformers,” Aquino said.
“By giving them a new lease of life, drug surrenderers may well become reformers. The government will provide refuge where drug offenders can pick up the pieces of their shattered lives and make themselves whole again,” he added.
Aquino patterned the balay silangan on his bahay pagbabago reformatory centers, which he established during his term when he was then the Philippine National Police's Region III director in 2016.