ILOILO City – In a strategic shift away from traditional rehabilitation models, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) is ramping up its reformation campaign through the expansion of Balay Silangan centers across Western Visayas — offering a second chance to hundreds of small-time drug offenders once left with limited options for reintegration.
A total of 362 individuals have already successfully completed the program, while 106 more are currently undergoing reformation, according to a regional update released recently by PDEA Region 6.
Seventy-nine Balay Silangan centers have been established to date, the most recent being in Barangay Sta. Fe, Pilar, Capiz — the 14th for the province and the 79th in the region.
“Balay Silangan is a reformation program, which is different from rehabilitation. The focus of the program is to modify the negative attitudes and behavior of a person to become productive and acceptable in society,” said PDEA-6 spokesperson Graciella Tanaleon.
Tailored specifically for drug personalities who are ineligible for Department of Health-run rehabilitation centers — such as those who voluntarily surrender or enter plea bargaining agreements — the program operates under the mandate of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
The reformation model spans three months, with the first month spent in-house focusing on education, health, and psychosocial and physical development.
The final two months concentrate on skills training and employment-readiness, with courses such as gardening, carpentry, massage therapy, and soap-making, often curated by local government units based on feasibility.
Tanaleon emphasized the need for a differentiated approach for those who relapse.
“Hopefully, there will be relapsed programs for individuals because there are several times they go back to zero after testing positive. We believe there is a different approach for relapsed cases,” she said.
The Balay Silangan initiative also reinforces the sustainability phase of barangay drug-clearing efforts by ensuring that community-level intervention is accessible.
“As part of our self-policing capacity as LGUs or community in case of instances or reports of activities. If there are small-time pushers who voluntarily surrender, there is a facility ready to cater for the reformation program,” Tanaleon added.
The program is gaining ground as a more inclusive and community-driven component of the national anti-drug campaign, particularly in addressing the needs of low-level drug offenders overlooked by existing institutional rehab structures. (With a report from the Philippine News Agency/PN)
