GATTARAN, Cagayan: Ten drug surrenderers in Cagayan province will undergo a minimum of one month reformation program at the newly-inaugurated facility here. The Balay Silangan Reformation Center (BSRC) in this municipality will be under the supervision of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), the Philippine National Police with the support of the local government unit (LGU) here. According to the PDEA, the BSRC here is the 10th to be inaugurated in the Cagayan province and the 28th in Region 2 (Cagayan Valley). The PDEA said BSRCs are shelters built along with a promise of renewed life for surrendered drug personalities across the country under the national drug reformation program. Under the program, Christy Silvan, PDEA Region 2 assistant director, said the PDEA through the BSRC offers temporary refuge to reform drug offenders into self-sufficient and law-abiding members of society. Silvan said the general interventions under the program include continuing education and health awareness, psychological, spiritual, and physical activities, counseling, moral recovery, values formation, personal and life skills, among others. 'Livelihood and skills training programs which include soap making, massage training, basic carpentry, welding, haircutting, among others are likewise provided to give drug reformers employment opportunities,' she added. Present during last Thursday's inauguration of the BSRC were Regional Police Office 2 chief BGen. Steve Ludan, personnel of PDEA Cagayan province, representatives from Gattaran LGU led by Mayor Matthew Nolasco, member agencies, BSRC technical working group, among others. Ludan said the facility was built for the reformation of drug offenders for them to become productive and law-abiding members of society. He also expressed gratitude to the PDEA-Region 2 as the lead agency in efforts to end the illegal drug trade and its menace in the region, the Gattaran LGU, other partner agencies and stakeholders for their invaluable support to the program.
