CSWD to hold outreach activity for recovering drug dependents

THE Oro Citizens Wellness and Development Center (OCWDC) of the City Social Welfare and Development will be conducting a medical outreach activity for recovering drug dependents at the Cagayan de Oro City Hall Mini Park on Friday morning, November 24.

The event, dubbed as Tabang Medico, is in line with the city's celebration of Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Week, which started on Monday, November 20.

Rhyselle Bernadette Melliza-Descallar, center head of OCWDC, said six doctors from the City Health Office and City Health Insurance Office will be providing medical service to recovering drug dependents, their families and significant others, the community-based managers and barangay volunteers who were helping with the program.

The week-long celebration, Descallar said, is an activity to spread awareness to the public that although there is a growing problem with the issue of drug addiction in the society, “there is still hope after the darkness caused by substance abused.”

“This activity will also help our responders, especially the ones who are already in the aftercare program, to encourage them to display their livelihood, yung everything that goes with our after care assistance for them, so yung livelihood, education, medical kasi (because) in the problem of drug addiction, wholistic naman talaga yung approach natin (our approach is wholistic). It is not enough that we address the problem on drug addiction alone so we address the medical issue, we address everything as a whole,” Descallar said.

She added that aside from the health issue, the activity also includes spiritual, economic and community aspects.

“Yung Oro Citizens Wellness and Development Center yung target natin, we are eyeing on the three aspects for the CBRP (Community-Based Rehabilitation Program): the self, the family and the community. Those three mentioned play a very important role in the recovery process of our responders,” Descallar said.

Descallar also said that this might also help the city achieve, in a long run, a drug free environment.

“Its a long way to go but we are there, so we are working on it,” Descallar added.

The Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Week celebration kicked off with a motorcade on Monday, November 20. Booths from different barangays in Cagayan de Oro City, who were actively participating in the Community-Based Rehabilitation Program, were also displayed in the Gaston Park located near the City Hall.

The active baranagys include Carmen, Agusan, Canitoan, Lumbia, Nazareth, Macasandig, Patag, San Simon, Camaman-an, Lapasan, Cugman, Mambuaya, Gusa, and among others.

Descallar said the booths are for the Christmas Bazaar and they will be presenting products, such as fruits, vegetables, crafts, etc., from different barangays. Some products were handmade by the recovering drug dependents themselves.

On Friday afternoon, the OCWDC will also be having a culminating activity of the week-long celebration at the event center in Centrio Ayala.