Thirteen business leaders have signified their intention to help build rehabilitation centers, the Department of the Interior and Local Government announced.
The department said its officials have met with taipans Ronald Elepano Jr., former vice president of DMCI Holdings Inc; Ruperto Nicdao Jr., president, Manila Broadcasting Co.; Renato Salud, senior vice president, JG Summit Holdings Inc; Atty. Jason Bayan, also from JG Summit; Riikki Escudero-Catibog, executive vice president and chief operating officer, GMA Network Inc; Jose Miguel Jimenez, PJ Lhuillier Group of Companies; Michael Toledo, senior vice president, PLDT; Annie Garcia, president, SM Supermalls; Ryan San Juan, vice president, SM Supermalls; Andrew Tan, president and chief executive officer, Megaworld Corp.; Kevin Tan, senior vice president, Megaworld Corp.; Erwin Go, senior vice president, Philippine National Bank; Manuel Bahena, senior vice president, Philippine National Bank; Ernesto Tanmantiong, chief executive officer, Jollibee Food Corp.; Carina Agarao, vice president, Jollibee Food Corp.; Roland Villareal, vice president, Rustan’s Supercenters, Inc; Manuel Villar, chairman, Vista Land & Lifescapes Inc; and Ruel Maranan, president, Ayala Corp.-Ayala Foundation Inc.
“We will enter into some sort of a memorandum of agreement, as to what contributions they can make to the comprehensive rehabilitation program or how they can participate in it. Some of them would be willing to donate funds for the construction of the rehabilitation centers,” DILG Undersecretary for Operations Atty. John Castriciones said.
Two rehabilitation facilities will be built in Luzon, one in the Visayas and another in Mindanao. Each rehabilitation center will accommodate at least 500 drug surrenderees. Another proposal calls for the construction of one rehabilitation center for each region.
Castriciones said the program aims to reform the 700,000 who surrendered in the anti-illegal drugs campaign. The Department of Health and the Dangerous Drugs Board revealed that 70,000 or 10 percent who require more thorough and immediate care shall be committed to the government-run rehabilitation centers. The rest shall undergo community-based rehabilitation.
Castriciones explained that the surrenderees in the program, particularly in the rural areas, will participate in tree-planting, help spearhead the green campaign of the government or join the livestock-raising scheme. Those in the urban areas will be involved in the cleaning of the esteros or waterways and acquire vocational skills through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.