LAOAG CITY, Ilocos Norte (PIA) – To support the rehabilitation of small time illegal drug offenders in Laoag City, the new Balay Silangan is expected to be fully operational by the month of April this year.

The Balay Silangan Reformation Program offers a temporary shelter for illegal drug offenders with the objective to reform them into self-sufficient and law-abiding members of the society by providing them with counseling, skills training, and employment opportunities once they graduate the reformation program. 

According to Farlyne Vinluan, public information officer of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Ilocos Norte Provincial Office, when the Balay Silangan opens, it will accommodate 15 drug offenders who will undergo the Balay Silangan 90-day rehabilitation program.

Vinluan explained that in the first 30 days of the reformation program, the enrollees will undergo counseling and the following 60 days will focus on the skills training and employment programs.

The skills training for the enrollees will be facilitated by the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and other government agencies to equip the Balay Silangan graduates for their employment after the reformation program.

During the regular session of the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Laoag City last week, Hipolito Salva, City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (CADAC) focal person, said they are now finalizing the facilities that will be used by the enrollees like the kitchen and living area.

"Dumating na yung mga kitchenware, kaya inaayos na namin ang mga other facilities ngayon, pero rest assured we will inaugurate by April and it will be fully functional for the enrollees," Salva said. 

In Laoag City, 33 out of the 45 drug-affected barangays have been declared as drug-free, and Barangay Barit-Pandan is currently applying for drug clearing through the Barangay Drug Clearing Program (BDCP) of PDEA.

Laoag City has a total of 80 barangays.

Vinluan said that Laoag City still needs continued monitoring for illegal drug activity "because the city has a big population and it can be used as a selling ground of illegal drugs."

Previously, the Balay Silangan was located at Barangay 1 San Lorenzo. It is being transferred to the former city library building in Barangay 23 San Matias for its wider space and its proximity to the Ilocos Norte Police Provincial Office (INPPO). (JCR/MJTAB/EJFG, PIA Ilocos Norte)