MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Quezon City Anti-Drug Abuse and Advisory Council (QC-ADAC) have agreed to join forces in helping street children involved in illegal drugs and substances.
PDEA chief Director General Aaron Aquino on Monday signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte for a one-year partnership on the “Sagip Batang Solvent” project.
Under the agreement, PDEA and QC-ADAC will establish a facility in Barangay San Agustin in Novaliches where rescued children who are hooked on sniffing solvents or involved in the illegal drug trade, would undergo rehabilitation and reintegration.
The program will provide reformation and reintegration interventions such as counselling, values-formation, skills development and livelihood and entrepreneurship training.
Aquino clarified that not only children hooked on solvents would be rescued.
Children who are involved in illegal drug trade as drug couriers, runners, among others, will also be rescued.
“Hindi naman talaga yung iba nagi-sniff ng rugby. ‘Yung iba they are being used as couriers, as runners, basta anything na ang bata ay naiinvolve sa illegal na droga,” Aquino said in a press conference.
He said the rescued children will be housed at the “Sagip Batang Solvent” reformation center for at least three months.
The PDEA director general said they would start the implementation of the project in a month’s time.
He added that the facility would be open to children from areas outside Quezon City.
“Initially, kami (PDEA) ang nagpapalakad nito for one year. Nandito kami just to initiate,” he said. / gsg