Carcar City Benchmarks Bogo City Drug Rehabilitation Program

The City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (CADAC) of Carcar City visited Bogo City today to benchmark latter’s Rehabilitation and Reintegration (ReRe) Program.

ReRe is Bogo City’s response to Operation Tokhang of the Philippine National Police when city officials noticed that the police did not have any program for drug surrenderers during the early months of the drug war.

ReRe Committee Vice Chair Niño Tolingin discussed the nuts and bolts and core values of what makes the ReRe Program tick. One key note he shared in dealing with the surrenderers was to always “trust but validate”, in relation to the regular drug-testing done every barkadahay sessions.

Barkadahay sessions are self-help sessions where surrenderers meet and talk about their addiction and their struggle to come clean.

Last February, participants of the barkadahay sessions reached a milestone when seven of them achieved being 90 days clean. This was celebrated with a simple ceremony attended by the successful surrenderers, their families and friends, and city officials.

The seven are currently going around Bogo to serve as facilitators for barkadahay sessions at the barangay level.

City Vice Mayor and concurrent chairman of the ReRe committee Mayel Martinez told the group from Carcar CIty that one crucial detail behind the success of the ReRe Program was the “commitment of the people behind it, that it was the passion of the work to help the surrenderers get back up.”

She said that “there is life after drugs.”

Three former surrenderers who are in the program shared their life story including their transformation brought about by the program.

The members of the CADAC applauded one surrenderer 17-year old “Boy Fury” for his transformation from a pusher-addict to now a member of his school’s Supreme Student Government.

The 42-member CADAC from Carcar was brought to Bogo City Sports Complex to witness an actual barkadahay session.

Bogo City’s ReRe Program started July last year and is based largely on Talisay City’s After- Care Program concocted by Dr. Rey Bautista. It has been modified to suit the needs of Bogo City’s drug surrenderers.

Dr. Bautista coined the “one day at a time” principle which ReRe follows. Simply put, each surrenderers goal should focus on being clean a day at a time.

Last March 16, Dr. Bautista visited Bogo City to exchange notes with the ReRe Committee. He was teary-eyed when he attended a barkadahay session having witnessed the success of the program. (City of Bogo PIO)

SOURCE: www.cebu.gov.ph