CALBAYOG CITY - After voluntarily submitting themselves to the Police, about 1,500 drug “surrenderees” under the government’s “Oplan Tokhang” are now lined up for assessment. This, after seven personnel from the City Drug Abuse Prevention and Rehabilitation Office (CDAPRO) underwent training at Dulag Treatment and Rehabilitation Center in Leyte on Intervention Programs for drug dependents.

According to CDAPRO Chief Dr. Teodoro Fortaleza, during assessment, the drug dependents will be categorized into four: the low-risk, moderate risk, high -risk and very high-risk. The last 2 categories will be admitted to the “Bahay ni Kuya” Day time Rehabilitation program, where, for 6 months, the drug dependents will be reporting daily to a school-like rehabilitation program .

Fortaleza added that his personnel will be augmented by nurses from the national government’s Nurses Deployment Program who will also undergo training with the staff from the Dulag Center, who will personally come to the City On September 11 to train them.

Earlier, City Mayor Ronaldo P. Aquino earmarked P600,000 from the city’s coffers to fund for the early stage of the program’s implementation. Dr. Fortaleza said that they are also banking on the Phil. Charity Sweepstakes Office and the PhilHealth to help fund the program, since this is a new program and was not included in the city’s Budgetary Appropriations for this year.

Meanwhile, out of the 1,963 persons who have undergone drug testing at CDAPRO from January to August of this year, Dr. Fortaleza revealed that seven has been found to be positive of methamphetamine hydrochloride or “shabu.” (CJ/ELEEN LIM/ September 21, 2016)