SOME REGIONS HAVE NO DRUG REHABILITATION CENTERS YET

PILAR, Bataan: The Dangerous Drugs Board over the weekend revealed
that three or four regions in the country have no drug training and
rehabilitation centers yet as mandated by Republic Act 9165.

Health Undersecretary Edgar Galvante, also the drugs board's
executive director, did not identify the regions. He said the new law
on anti-illegal drugs requires all provinces to have at least a drug
rehabilitation center each to be jointly run by the board and local
government units.

Galvante added that Central Luzon has two drug centers. One that
rehabilitates drug dependents in Region 3 is located in Magalang,
Pampanga. The other, the Bataan Drug Training and Rehabilitation
Center, in Liyang, Pilar town, will open early this year.

He said the drugs board lacks funds to comply with RA 9165 and needs
support of provincial governments.

Rep. Albert Garcia of Bataan's Second District said the drug
rehabilitation center in Pilar is the first to be built in the
country under the law. He added that the center held ground-breaking
in May 2006.

Galvante, during an inspection of the Bataan center, discussed with
Garcia and Pilar Mayor Carlos Pizarro plans to make the center fully
operational in 2008.

The Bataan center sits on 2.1 hectares where the former Kabataang
Barangay cluster of buildings built by then KB president Imee Marcos
stood. The area was renovated for more than P22 million.

It was learned that the drugs board has released P17 million for the
center located at the foot of historic Mount Samat and near Dunsulan
Falls.

Two big rooms, one for male and another for female drug patients, can
accommodate at least 50 beds.

"The drug-dependents have hope, a second chance once rehabilitated in
this Bataan center with our programs of making them productive during
their stay here. We look forward to seeing them totally off the hook
on illegal drugs and not rejected by society," Galvante and Garcia
said.