LINGAYEN, PANGASINAN—The Pangasinan provincial government, in partnership with law enforcement and other line agencies, will join hands in building a better community for drug surrenderees in the province.
Collaborative efforts will be strengthened through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on December 7 at the Pangasinan Drug Reformation Center in San Vicente, Burgos town. This will serve as the requirement for the accreditation of the facility as the province’s “Balay Silangan Reformation Center.”
Earlier, Governor Ramon V. Guico III said the implementation and strengthening of a community-based plan of action through the Balay Silangan Reformation Program is a welcome opportunity for the province to help reform drug offenders as self-sufficient and law-abiding individuals.
“Balay Silangan” is a program launched by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) that aims to build temporary shelters for drug offenders. Reformatory in nature, the program 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 health department.
A community-based rehabilitation program is a holistic approach that aims to focus on the healing of the body, mind, and soul of drug surrenders through counseling and other therapeutic sessions.
As contained in the Dangerous Drugs Board regulation, the Balay Silangan Reformation Program shall have various components such as: education and health; psychosocial and physical activities like counseling and consultative sessions; livelihood or employment education, which may be determined by local government units to include a green revolution program; soap making; massage training or reflexology; basic carpentry; basic welding and electrical; basic haircutting; food processing; and mushroom culture.
Along with Gov. Guico, the MOU will be signed by the heads of the PDEA-Region 1, PNP-Pangasinan Police Office, Burgos Police Station, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP)-Burgos, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Interior and Local Government-Provincial Office, Department of Education (DepEd)-Division Office, Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA)-Provincial Office, religious sector from Burgos town, and Rural Health Unit (RHU)-Burgos.
(Ruby R. Bernardino/Pangasinan Information and Media Relations Office)
