[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading tag=’h3′ padding=’10’ heading=’Calinog drug surrenderees get free education, livelihood’ color=” style=’blockquote modern-quote’ custom_font=” size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ custom_class=”]
BY RUBY SILUBRICO
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=’custom’ color=’#0a0a0a’]
Saturday, January 28, 2017
[/av_textblock]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=’custom’ color=’#0a0a0a’]
ILOILO – The local government of Calinog has various programs for drug users and/or pushers who have surrendered to the authorities.
Calinog is one of the 14 towns in this province that were declared “drug-cleared.”
Mayor Alex Centena said they offer free tuition and transportation allowance to surrenderees who want to go back to school.
Some of them have already started classes in Passi Trade School and Calinog Central School, the mayor revealed.
Among the courses they enrolled in are cooking, welding, driving, carpentry, and computer-related studies.
“We are doing this to help them change for the better,” Centena stressed.
He insisted there were only a few (“gamay”) drug personalities in his town.
“Halos mga bukid ang mga barangay [diri],” said the mayor. “Indi makalab-ot ang shabu didto sa bukid.”
Of Calinog’s 59 barangays, 20 were drug-affected.
Seventy pushers surrendered, while 20 were arrested since Oplan Double Barrel, the police’s intensified antidrug campaign, started last year.
“We had a low percentage of drug-affected barangays because most [of the barangays] are in mountainous areas,” said Senior Inspector Kenneth Bermejo, Calinog police chief.
Centena said the local government of Calinog and the Department of the Interior and Local Government are also providing livelihood — hog- and goat-raising — to households with drug surrenderees.
Aside from Calinog, also declared “drug-cleared” by their respective Municipal Anti-Illegal Drug Abuse Councils (MADAC) were Alimodian, Balasan, Bingawan, Dueñas, Lambunao, Lemery, Leon, Maasin, Mina, San Dionisio, San Rafael, Tubungan, and Zarraga.
These towns have submitted a “drug-clearing booklet” and resolutions from Barangay ADACs declaring they have no more drug users and pushers./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
