Bataan mayor sees great potential among former drug dependents

BALANGA CITY, Bataan – Mayor Maria Angela S. Garcia of Dinalupihan, a northern Bataan town, has allocated P 3 million for the rehabilitation of some 150 drug surrenderees of the town to become more productive industrial workers and responsible citizens .

Expressing his utmost gratitude to the gracious gesture of Bataan Mayors’ League president , Senior Superintendent Benjamin H. Silo, newly-designated Bataan police provincial director, told print and broadcast journalists after the simple rites for the opening of Bahay Pagasa Rehabilitation Center annex in Barangay Lamao, Limay town, this province.

About 50 drug dependents from Mariveles, Limay and Bagac towns are first to be accepted today in the Bahay Pag-asa Reformation Center, formerly the headquarters of 304th PC company. The second drug reformation center established in the province, the first center is located inside the Bataan police headquarters in Camp Tolentino, this city.

Silo said, Mayor Garcia sees the great potential for the surrenderees to return to the mainstream of the society after spiritual and moral renewal modules in the rehabilitation center and learning specialized skills from Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA} which would lead them to creative and constructive entrepreneurial activities .

He explained that the lady municipal executive of Dinalupihan is eyeing more job opportunities for the rehabilitated former drug users and pushers to a leading shipyard in Asia, Hanjin ship building firm, located in Subic, Zambales .

He added that the shipyard is continuously hiring welders, pipefitters and other highly-skilled industrial workers for their expansion plan.