SMC hiring 500 QC drug rehab ‘graduates’ for MRT-7

At least 100 drug surrenderers under Oplan Tokhang have “graduated” from a community-based rehabilitation program in Quezon City, where they will be hired as construction workers for the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 7 project, according to the local government.

They make up the first batch of reformed drug dependents who completed 12 sessions of clinical counseling and psychological evaluation under a program of the Quezon City Anti-Drug Abuse Advisory Council.

Speaking to reporters during the graduation ceremony on Tuesday, Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte, who leads the council, said they were now “drug-cleared” and “ready to be reintegrated to mainstream society.”

She said jobs await the recovered drug users under a partnership between the local government and major companies. San Miguel Corp., for example, opened its doors to at least 500 former drug dependents for the construction of the MRT-7, a 23-km elevated railway between Quezon City and Bulacan province.

The project is expected to employ recovered drug users for at least three years.

“We also have partnerships with other private firms linked with job fairs and other employment-related companies,” Belmonte said. “Through initial screening, [we found out that] some were suitable for clerical work, while others can work in call centers.”
Citing records, Belmonte said there had been 16,000 drug surrenderers in the city since July last year, but only 10,000 had been profiled under the city’s Integrated Drug Abuse Profiling System.

Those found with severe drug dependency were recommended for rehabilitation at Tahanan, the city’s rehab center.