The Lapu-Lapu City Government has opened a Balay Silangan Drug Reformation Center on Olango Island to provide community-based rehabilitation services for qualified individuals recovering from illegal drug use.
The facility was formally inaugurated on Saturday, with Mayor Ma. Cynthia “Cindi” King-Chan leading the opening ceremony together with Lapu-Lapu City Lone District Rep. Junard “Ahong” Chan, city officials, law enforcement representatives, and anti-drug council members.
Also present during the event were City Councilors Emilio Galaroza Jr. and Annabeth Cuizon, Lapu-Lapu City Police Office Director Col. Agosto Daskeo, CLOSAP head Garry Lao, representatives from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), members of the City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (CADAC), and barangay captains from Olango Island.
The city government said the facility will serve qualified plea bargainers and individuals eligible for community-based rehabilitation under existing government anti-drug programs.
The center will offer counseling, values formation, psychosocial support, skills training, and livelihood programs designed to help participants recover from drug dependence and prepare for reintegration into their communities.
King-Chan said the success of the program should be measured by the changes it brings to the lives of individuals who undergo the rehabilitation process.
“Public service is measured not only by the programs we begin, but by the lives we are able to influence over time. I hope that Balay Silangan becomes a place where individuals are encouraged to accept responsibility, restore their confidence, strengthen family relationships, and prepare for meaningful participation in society,” she said.
The opening of the facility followed the turnover of a P5-million grant from the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) to the Lapu-Lapu City Government on June 30.
The grant was formally turned over by DDB Chairperson and Secretary Oscar F. Valenzuela and will support the establishment, expansion, and operations of the Balay Silangan Drug Reformation Center.
Balay Silangan is a community-based drug reformation program that provides rehabilitation, counseling, and skills development opportunities for low-risk drug offenders and qualified participants as part of the government’s campaign against illegal drugs.
Through the facility, the city government aims to provide recovering individuals with support services that can help them rebuild their lives and become productive members of their communities.
Photo courtesy of Mayor Cindi King-Chan
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