Lucena City awarded as one of best LGUs with community-based drug

rehabilitation practices

LUCENA CITY – The City Government of Lucena has been recognized as one of the
local government units (LGUs) with best practices under the Community-Based Drug
Rehabilitation and Reintegration Program (CBDRP).

Joing Lucena City in appreciation of the Department of the Interior and Local
Government (DILG) are eight other LGUs that offer the strongest grassroots treatment
program for victims of illicit drugs.

DILG Secretary Eduardo M. Año said that amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the national
government is committed to the rehabilitation of drug users at the community level as
part of its anti-illegal drug policy.

Lucena City’s “Kanlungan ng Pagbabago: Balay Silangan Reformation Center” located

at Zaballero Subdivision, Brgy. Gulang-gulang, this city, has just recently been
inaugurated by the local government unit as response to the Philippine Drug
Enforcement Agency (PDEA) heed to the massive national drug reformation program.
Said area also houses the City Anti-Drug Abuse Office, where the City Government,
under the administration of Mayor Roderick Alcala, has allotted a generous amount of
budgetary allocation.

'Balay' is a national drug reformation program established by the PDEA in January 2018
and nationally implemented with the PNP and host LGUs, is a temporary refuge with the
objective of reforming drug offenders into self-sufficient and law-abiding members of
society

Prior to the Balay launch, the City Government of Lucena through City Anti-Drug Abuse
Office (CADAO) was already running reformatory programs and series of activities for
drug offenders where beneficiaries undergoes bootcamp dubbed as “Simula ng Pag-
asa (SIPAG),” an activity for discipline, skills training and values formation since 2016.

In February 2019, the LGU converted its former City Health building into a Balay
Silangan facility to comply with the PDEA requirement for LGUs. It became the first
operational LGU-run rehabilitation and recovery centre in Quezon province.

“Our push in the grassroots level to rehabilitate and eventually reintegrate drug users
continues and this award as one of the best LGUs with CBDRP practices are clear proof
of the local government’s commitment towards this policy. Ito po ay tagumpay ng ating
lungsod laban sa ipinagbabawala na droga,” City Mayor Roderick A. Alcala said.

The local executive said that said award was a clear evidence that community level
rehabilitation works as it gives drug users a chance to change for the better. "Ang
tagumpay ng programang ito ay tagumpay din ng mga pamilyang Lucenahin na naging
biktima ng iligal na droga,” he stated
The local chief executive also mentioned that the Lucena CADAC also formed
“Revitalized Volunteers for Emergencies (REVIVE), a group of volunteers composed of
reforming drug offenders who undergo community based drug rehabilitation program.
They volunteered themselves into front liners during the height of Covid-19 pandemic.
Indeed, this program has produced volunteers who were former illegal drug users and
persons deprived of liberty through moral, personal, and spiritual development even
amid the pandemic.

"The success of LGU Lucena as one of the LGU with Best Community-Based Drug
Rehabilitation and Reintegration Program (CBDRP) is an indication that the program
may become effective and successful if the LGU takes the lead in the full execution of
its services. For the drug problem in our city to be resolved, such efforts and
commitment in the community is really necessary," Francia Malabanan, Lucena City
Anti-Drug Abuse Officer added.