LA TRINIDAD, Benguet, July 26 -— The Community Healing Achieving Re-integration Movement (CHARM), an organization formed by drug surrenderers in this capital town, has committed to continue helping in the anti-drug campaign of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.
Pablo Ignas, in an interview on Wednesday, said they will register the group with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to be able to function legally. Ignas is among the 34 who graduated from the primary care rehabilitation program on Monday.
Among the programs they have in the pipeline are fund raising activities, information campaign to encourage those who have yet to undergo the primary care program that will help a drug dependent stop from using the illegal drugs and to actively engage in the activities of the municipal anti-drug abuse council (MADAC) – to stop the menace in the town.
Earlier in the six-months after care program that started in January 2017, the 34 surrenderers who are among the 203 that voluntarily surrendered after President Duterte opened the door for the reformation of those engaged in illegal drugs, conducted a concert for a cause where Php25,000 was raised.
“This is a seed money that will be used to have a car-washing business that will be run and managed by the CHARM,” Ignas said, adding it will serve as livelihood of the present members and those who will complete the town-led rehabilitation program so that those who are unemployed will have a decent and legitimate source of income.
He added that individually and as a group, they will do their best to encourage the 169 remaining surrenderers to grab the opportunity of being helped. “We will serve as a bridge to convince them. We also commit to provide information to the authorities if there are others who have not surrendered so that the police can encourage them to voluntarily surrender.”
Ignas said, “we are united towards change – for ourselves and our community. We are lucky that President Duterte opened the door for us to have a new and better lives.”
He shared that he was initially arrested for drug offense and spent two years in jail, where he found it difficult to change, knowing that he was not part of a family while inside detention.
He said being with CHARM, he found another family who cared for him and wanted him to become a better person.
Mayor Romeo Salda, during Monday’s graduation, said the local government in partnership with the different religious organizations, non-government organizations, the national government through the Department of Health are committed to continue helping the drug surrenderers who want to change.
He said, “what you have started, we will support. Do not return (to the illegal drug activity). Ipatangken yu iti rigat nga naglabasan yu tapnu haan kayun nga agsubli (keep in mind the difficulty you went through so that you can be healed and will not go back to the old way).
Salda said “you are now part of the development of our municipality. We will make you a member of the MADAC,” he assured.
He urged the members of CHARM to “arayaten yu diay daduma (save the others).”
La Trinidad implements an out-patient rehabilitation program. It is a six-month program where clients are allowed to continue with their lives while undergoing rehabilitation under continuous monitoring by the police. A case manager is also in close contact with the clients to help them handle a relapse.
Joediline Tay-og, one of the social workers who acted as case manager, related that their function involves a very close monitoring of the clients in between the weekly sessions. “They have take home assignments and they list down all their activities and whereabouts to give us an idea of their activities. We teach them the foundation of recovery skills and how to prevent and avoid relapse which will make the client use illegal drugs. We also use a matrix or a psycho education during their group sessions. Random drug tests are done and home visits are unannounced.”
Dr. Dy Clarette Rosario Dy, head of the Out Patient Care Department of the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (OPCD-BGHMC), on Monday also said their agency started giving out patient care in 2009 but they got an influx of clients after President Duterte’s pronouncement in 2016 urging those in the illegal drug activity to voluntarily surrender.
She said the government through the Department of Health gives services for free to drug surrenderers availing of the out-patient rehabilitation program. “It is a partnership with the local government units who spends for the drug testing while organizations and other government agencies help each other in giving the services needed to change the clients,” she said. **Liza T. Agoot/PNA)
