Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte at commencement ceremony (contributed photo).
MANILA, Philippines — The Quezon City Anti-Drug Abuse Advisory Council (QCADAAC) yesterday announced the graduation of 574 participants from the 4th batch of its community-based drug rehabilitation program.
In its commencement ceremony yesterday, QCADAAC Chair and Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte congratulated the graduates for completing the program, saying that a total of 2,800 have already completed the community rehabilitation modules and prescribed counseling since it started in 2016.
“Maraming salamat na nagtiyaga kayo, nagsikap kayo. Maraming salamat at naging determinado kayo at nagkaroon kayo ng commitment na kahit na napakaraming temptasyon, diretso lang ang pag-iisip niyo toward the goal na maging drug cleared,” said Belmonte.
“Gagawin namin lahat sa abot ng aming makakaya sa pamahalaang lungsod na matulungan lahat ng mga gustong magbago. Pero ‘yung commitment para talikuran ‘yung mga masasamang gawa, dapat mula ‘yan sa inyo,” she added.
Meanwhile, Belmonte also vowed to further support the graduates in terms of their livelihood as she cited that lack of employment usually causes illegal drug abuse, according to data from the QC Integrated Drug Abuse Profiling System (QC IDAPS).
Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte at commencement ceremony (contributed photo).
“Ang programa natin sa lungsod, hindi pa sila mako-consider as fully graduated kung hindi pa sila nakakahanap ng makabuluhang trabaho. The next step for us is to provide assistance on how they can attain jobs and livelihood so that they can have something to do to distract themselves from going back to drugs.”
“Tututukan natin ang mga wala pang kabuhayan na magkaroon ng pagkakaaabalahan o hanapbuhay; tututukan natin na magkaroon sila ng training sa iba’t ibang kasanayan para pwede silang makapaghanap ng trabaho at pwede silang makapag-ipon o ma-irefer sa iba’t ibang employers through our partnerships with the private sector,” she noted.
Belmonte expressed confidence as QCADAAC chair that Quezon City has already improved in terms of alleviating the number of drug users and pushers with the intensified government intervention on rehabilitation and prevention among communities.
“I’m very proud with what we have started dahil ang buong framework ng program ay nasimulan noong panahon ko and there are barangays na nag-improve na from severely affected to moderately affected, or slightly affected na lang. So we really are making progress in this area,” she noted. /muf