The City Council, during last Monday’s regular session, approved on first reading a proposed ordinance creating the Baguio City Treatment and Rehabilitation Center for drug dependents to be known as the Balay Namnama, providing funds and for other purposes.
Under the proposed ordinance, the necessary rules and regulations for the creation of the Baguio City Treatment and Rehabilitation Center for drug dependents shall be prescribed and that funds for the said endeavor shall also be provided by the local government.
The ordinance stated that the Balay Namnama Office shall be the operational and administrative governing office of the Balay Namnama and shall be attached to the City Mayor’s Office and the City Anti-Drug Abuse Council (CADAC) for funding purposes, policy and program coordination.
Further, pursuant to the city government’s moral, social, and legal responsibility to address the rehabilitative needs of drug dependents, the Balay Namnama shall serve as a residential center for the treatment and rehabilitation for drug dependents in accordance with Republic Act (RA) 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and other related laws and regulations.
Moreover, it shall provide comprehensive rehabilitation services to effectively rehabilitate drug dependents and enable re-integration into their respective families and communities.
The ordinance tasked the City Mayor’s Office to allocate the necessary funds to cover the salaries and operational requirements of the Balay Namnama Office personnel and the needed capital outlay necessary for the sustained operation of the same.
Any and all amounts collected pursuant to the pertinent provisions of the ordinance shall be deposited to the account of the Balay Namnama Office as a special account. The Program Director shall administer the special account which may be utilized for direct services cost, indirect services cost, procurement of office supplies, provisions, and day to day operations of the same.
For the said purpose, the Program Director shall immediately initiate the creation of a special account with the City Treasury Office.
The Balay Namnama shall provide rehabilitation services pursuant to various rules and regulations such as for drug dependents residing in Baguio city, it shall provide rehabilitation services to indigent residents free of charge; should the applicant’s drug dependent or his immediate family’s income is above the poverty threshold by less than 50 percent, the monthly rate shall be PhP3,000 and should the applicant’s drug dependent or his immediate family’s income will be above the poverty threshold by more than 50 percent, the monthly rate shall be PhP5,000. By Dexter A. See