House vows financial support for DOH drug rehab centers

The House of Representatives will provide financial support for the drug treatment and rehabilitation centers of the Department of Health (DOH), Surigao Del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers said.

Barbers, who chairs the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, made the announcement on Friday during the visit of the 13th Meeting of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly Fact Finding Committee (AIFOCOM) delegates to the DOH-Treatment and Rehabilitation Center in Tagaytay City.

“Congress will provide funding assistance to the DOH-TRC and the other treatment and rehabilitation centers of the DOH. In fact, every budget hearing, we make sure the DOH rehabilitation and treatment centers are well-funded," Barbers said.

"We make sure their budgets are enough to sustain the necessary funding requirement of their operations. 'Yun ang gusto namin, para hindi naman sila hirap," he added.

Barbers and the AIFOCOM delegates met with the patients and officials of the DOH-TRC, led by chief Dr. Ronnie Del Mundo.

The lawmaker said they will wait for Del Mundo to submit the budget proposal to the House.

“We are always willing to support the DOH program to help in the rehabilitation and treatment of drug users because we do not view drug users as criminals but as persons who are sick and need to be treated. Walang pinagkaiba sa taong may sakit na dapat gamutin. Para magamot mo 'yan, kailangan bigyan mo ng tamang gamot. Yan ang pananaw namin dyan,” Barbers said.

"Kami naman lagi naming sinusuportahan yung budget ng treatment and rehab centers. Basta humingi ang DOH binibigyan namin because we know na napupunta naman siya sa ganitong programa. So dapat lang. Kung kinakailangang dagdagan dahil sa programang gusto nilang gawin na makakatulong sa rehabilitation bakit hindi,” he added.

During the inspection, Barbers noted the need for additional facilities in the DOH-TRC.

He said the patients in the center were lucky enough to have comfortable beds, electric fans and comfort rooms.

“Kung ikukumpara natin ang rehab center na ito dun sa pinakita ng ibang bansa, aba malayo ito. Doon maliit lang yung higaan, hindi sementado, hindi naka-tiles, lupa nga e. Tapos 'yung dingding parang dahon, parang sawali,” Barbers said.

The center used to have an annual budget of P22 million, Del Mundo said. But when they learned how to manage the funding, the DOH gave them more funds.

In fact, Del Mundo said, the capital outlay for the salaries of the staff is excluded from the P22-million budget.

“The rule would still be, from Health Secretary Ubial herself, [if] you spend well, we will give you more,” he said.

A total of 300 male patients are currently undergoing treatment at the center with the help of a staff of 144, Del Mundo said.

“It reflects on our management. We do not compete with other rehabilitation centers because what’s the point, we all have the same purpose. We give them [patients] the best practices that we have and we share these with other rehabilitation centers,” he added.

Barbers said their visit in the facility made them realize that drug users, too, want change.

“They can take advantage of government programs like this, and hopefully when they leave the center their self-reformation is genuine because there are a lot of opportunities that await them," he said.

Barbers told the patients to take their rehabilitation problem seriously in order for them to go back to their families and begin again. — BM, GMA News