Drug Rehab Donations Pour on Duterte Administration

Donations of cash and support from individuals, corporations and foreign agencies poured on ‘drug rehabilitation’ established in the first six months of Duterte administration, an official of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) said Wednesday.

DILG Undersecretary for Operations John Castriciones, who is the focal person of the inter-agency task force on the establishment and support of drug abuse treatment and rehabilitation centers (DATRCs) said since day one, donations were pouring in coming from local and international donors.

“One of the biggest achievement of the administration in the war on drugs is the establishment of drug rehabilitation facilities, although there’s no budget allotted for that this year,” he said.

“Indeed, good purpose comes with good Samaritans,” he added.

The recent list of benefactors are San Miguel Corporation which recently handed to the DILG its Php 1-billion donation to help in building more rehabilitation centers nationwide.

Also in the list of donors is businessman Enrique Razon of the International Container Terminal Services (ICTS).

According to Razon, the ICTS has committed to give Php 6.1 million for the construction of new building within an existing drug rehabilitation in Pilar, Bataan.

Another donation which the Department is set to sign an agreement with will be from the Friends of Filipinos Foundation, which will shoulder the cost of the construction of a 25-hectare drug rehabilitation facility in a soon-to-be identified location.

Similarly, the China Safety Information Protection Company promised to give Php212 million to the inter-agency task force.

The Manila Broadcasting Company (MBC) likewise committed anew to give beddings for 500 in-house patients and 22 units of 50 inches television set. It has previously donated one ambulance and one brand new service vehicle.

Mr. Cesar Hernandez of the 5-Star Transit and Victory Liner also expressed commitment to donate 15 buses.

The Chinese government, through its embassy office in Manila, will also sponsor the construction of a drug rehabilitation center which the DILG will later oversee. The agreement has yet to be signed, as well as the planning for the initial stage of the proposed drug rehab center.

Also, officials and representatives of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) met with the officials of the Department to seal the agreement between JICA and the DILG on assistance for the rehabilitation of drug dependents.

Castriciones said the inter-agency task force is still open for donations from individuals, corporations and agencies willing to help the government in ridding the country’s enormous problem on illegal drugs and help the hundreds of thousands of drug surrenders to enter into a new way of life. (PNA)RMA/AMD/RSM