SANTA ROSA, Laguna—The City of Santa Rosa held the Drug Summit 2017 on Thursday at the City Auditorium as the culminating activity of the City Anti-Drug Abuse Council’s campaign against illegal drugs.
Part of the program was the distribution of certificates of participation to surrenderers who participated in the 45-day Community-Based Rehabilitation Program in their respective barangays and the three-day Simula ng Pag-Asa or Sipag program. A total of 620 drug surrenderers received their certificates for this.
Attendees of the Drug Summit also included the 22 patients from the Dangal ng Pagbabago Rehabilitation Center, who are also graduating from the CBRP program. Dangal is the first ever rehabilitation center in the country operated by a local government unit.
The center was established in response to the call of President Rodrigo Duterte to address the need for a facility to help rehabilitate drug dependents, who voluntarily surrendered to the police as they conducted the “Operation Tokhang” in the city.
Police Chief Supt. Ma. O R. Aplasca, Calabarzon Regional Director, represented Philippine National Police Director General Ronald dela Rosa in the program. Laguna First District Rep. Arlene B. Arcillas also graced the program.
At the program, Mayor Dan Fernandez said: “This is it, the life that changes you, the program that changes you, to another life given by this government program. We thank our President Rodrigo Duterte for this program against drugs. We will try to continue this fight until the City of Santa Rosa will be all clear of drugs.”
Rep. Arcillas said: “This is another event that gives hope and guidance to our constituents. Santa Rosa was the first to answer the program of our President Duterte’s fight against drugs, as Santa Rosa was the first to create a drug rehabilitation center under the Dangal ng Pagbabago, with the support of City Vice Mayor Arnold Arcillas, the Sangguniang Bayan, and City Police led by Supt. Joel Estaris.”
“We can protect the people from the drug menace if we unite like the Balangay of old, which we now call Barangay,” Aplasca said. “For the old culture to survive, as a community we must all help each other for our protection. That’s why we at the PNP created the community mobilization programs, to stress our unity and strength.”
“We can do our best,” Chief of Police Estaris added. “This is the first Drug Summit in Laguna province, and we can target Santa Rosa City to be declared a drug free city next month, if the target requirements are delivered.”
