Project New Life opens in April

A CAPITOL-OPERATED rehabilitation facility will soon open in the southwestern town of Pinamungajan.

In a Facebook post on March 22, the Cebu Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Office (Cpadao) said Globe Telecom will officially turn over Project New Life to the Provincial Government during its inauguration ceremony next month.

“The rehabilitation center will be the first and only drug rehab center in the Visayas operated by the Provincial Government through the Cpadao and was made possible through the partnership of the Cebu Province and Globe Telecom in an effort to address the need for a facility to cater in-patient clients in Cebu,” reads a portion of the post.

Located within the Jose Maria Borromeo Memorial District Hospital compound, the 2,600-square-meter facility has a 106-bed capacity with open spaces and a recreation room for indoor activities.

Once operational, Globe will provide the equipment for the facility, while the Capitol will hire psychiatrists.

The rehabilitation center will have a doctor’s office, a nurse’s station, a treatment and stabilization room, a kitchen, a dining room, a clinic and a reception area.

Separate male and female wards will also be constructed for in-house patients.

A psychiatric ward with 18 rooms will also be built.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the center was held in March 2018, which was attended by Gov. Hilario Davide III, Globe VisMin external affairs officer Patrick Gloria, Provincial Health Office Chief Rene Catan, among others.

SunStar Cebu tried to reach Cpadao head Carmen Remedios Durano-Meca for comment, but she was not available as of press time.

In 2018, Cpadao recorded around 50,000 drug surrenderees from different towns and cities in Cebu.