33 La Trinidad drug surrenderers complete rehab program Tuesday, July 25, 2017 By

RODERICK OSIS SOME 33 drug surrenderers are now ready to return to the fold of society
after completing a six-month community-based outpatient rehabilitation program in La
Trinidad, Benguet. A former drug user, "Oliver" said drugs almost destroyed his life, and his
job as a vegetable disposer at the La Trinidad trading post. Thanks to the program, Oliver
together with his fellow former drug users, said they are slowly embracing the change in
their lifestyle and hopefully wont return to using drugs again. But Dr. Clarette Rosario of the
Out Patient Clinic Department of the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center said the
first six months is only the first few steps the drug surrenderers needs to undertake before
they are declared drug free. This will include an 18 month under care program to be
handled by the local government unit that will include education, counseling, and self help
sessions. We are very happy with the result of the rehabilitation, said Rpsario. But
change is not easy and steps to recovery should include hard work because of the
possibility of relapse. Aside from undergoing series of lectures by the police, the drug
surrenderers also underwent regular treatment from health workers and counseling from
social workers so they can abandon the use of illegal drugs. Close to 80 drug surrenderers
were earlier validated as bonafide residents of the town and were subjected to the six-
month community-based and outpatient rehabilitation program designed to integrate them
into mainstream society out of the 236 who surrendered to the police at the height of the
governments crackdown on illegal drugs in the municipality but only 33 completed the six
month program. Mayor Romeo Salda lauded the efforts of the surrenderers for their
dedication and participation in the program as he hopes they will serve as inspiration to
others. Chief Inspector Benson Macliing, chief of the La Trinidad Municipal Police Station,
meanwhile, noted the number of crimes in the municipality has gone down following the
intensive campaign of the combined police operatives and anti-narcotics agents to curb the
illegal drugs trade and use in the municipality and sustain the implementation of
peacekeeping initiatives geared towards making the town a better place to study, work, live
and do business. Ads by Kiosked Tags: LA TRINIDADDRUG SURRENDERERSDRUG
REHABILITATIONWAR ON DRUGSANTI-ILLEGAL DRUGS CAMPAIGN Published in the
SunStar Baguio newspaper on July 25, 2017. Latest issues of SunStar Baguio also
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