DDB grants ₱5M for Iriga's first community drug rehab center

IRIGA CITY, Camarines Sur — The Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) has given the city government of Iriga P5 million for the construction of its first community-based drug rehabilitation center.

The facility will rise at the New Government Center 2 in Barangay Sta. Elena.

DDB Executive Director Earl P. Saavedra personally turned over the check to Mayor Rex C. Oliva during a ceremony at the Sangguniang Panlungsod Session Hall on Monday.

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READ: Marcos admin eyes drug rehab facility per province by 2028

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Saavedra said the agency continues to promote a health-centered approach to addressing illegal drug use, stressing that drug dependence is “a chronic relapsing mental health condition” that requires rehabilitation and sustained community support rather than a purely peace-and-order response.

He said effective rehabilitation must include relapse prevention by addressing the root causes of substance use, such as poverty, trauma, and other social factors. He added that the facility could also be used for advocacy, prevention education, and community mobilization when it is not being utilized for rehabilitation services.

Oliva thanked the DDB for the grant, saying the project would establish what is expected to be the first community-based drug rehabilitation center in the Rinconada area, and possibly in Camarines Sur.

“We assure the DDB that the P5 million will be utilized with utmost transparency, accountability, and efficiency,” Oliva said, adding that the city remains committed to providing compassionate, evidence-based, and holistic rehabilitation services for residents affected by substance use.

City administrator Ramon Maharlika C. Oaferina II said the rehabilitation center will complement existing anti-drug initiatives, including mandatory drug testing for city government employees and job applicants, the operation of a Balay Silangan facility, law enforcement efforts by the Iriga City Police Station, and livelihood programs for recovering persons./coa

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