MANILA – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) said Monday that a total of 29,016 drug personalities have availed of the government’s rehabilitation and reformation programs in 2024.
In a statement, PDEA said the number includes 25,789 persons who use drugs (PWUDs) and 3,227 drug pushers.
Of the PWUDs, 16,494 graduated from the Community-Based Drug Rehabilitation Program and 9,063 from general intervention programs, both localized programs in the barangays; while 232 underwent the recovery process through accredited Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Centers in the country.
Meanwhile, out of the 3,227 drug pushers, 749 have already graduated, 79 are still undergoing reformation under the Balay Silangan Reformation Program; while the remainder have already executed their Affidavit of Undertaking but are waiting to be accommodated.
Balay Silangan is the national drug reformation program that offers temporary refuge to drug pushers who voluntarily surrendered to authorities and plea bargainers to transform them into self-sufficient and law-abiding members of society.
General interventions in the form of health awareness activities such as counseling, moral recovery, values formation, life skills, among others, are provided under the Balay Silangan program. Livelihood and skills trainings are also available to give employment opportunities to drug reformers.
Since the inception of the Balay Silangan Reformation Program in 2018, a total of 595 reformation centers have been established across the country. Of this number, 63 were built in 2024 alone.
Apart from strategies involving illegal drug supply reduction and prevention, the government is putting more weight on the rehabilitation and promotion of a stigma-free campaign for drug offenders, in a bid to address the drug problem.
This includes helping drug dependents recover from the habit and creating alternative employment prospects for drug sellers to prevent them from depending on illegal drug activities and reduce their likelihood of committing crimes. (PNA)