President Duterte joins the Villars in unveiling of drug rehab center in Las Piñas
Drug dependents in Las Piñas City will now find another chance at rebuilding their lives as President Rodrigo Duterte led the inauguration of the Las Piñas Drug Rehabilitation Center, donated by former Senate President Manny Villar and Sen. Cynthia Villar on Dec. 13.
The drug rehab center, located in Barangay Daniel Fajardo, is composed of a two-storey building for female drug dependents with an 86-patient capacity, and a three-storey building for male drug dependents with a 158-patient capacity. The facility has isolation rooms, doctor’s room, laboratory room, a kitchen area, and a dining area, which can be used for seminars and gatherings.
“The rehab center is part of our contribution to the administration’s campaign against illegal drugs. Through this facility, we can now have a place in Las Piñas and neighboring cities to transform drugdependent individuals into fully responsible and productive members of our society,” Sen.Cynthia Villar said.
It can be recalled that the Villar Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance (Villar SIPAG) farm schools also provided training programs for drug surrenderers. The 12-week training program taught them farm skills, which they could use as an alternative source of livelihood.
As of January 2017, more than 11,000 drug dependents have surrendered in Las Piñas, all of whom can benefit from the opening of the new drug rehab center.
The inauguration of the drug rehab center was held in celebration of former Senate President Manny Villar’s 69th birthday. The Nacionalista Party president holds the distinction of being the first post-war public official elected as both Speaker of the House of Representatives and Senate President.
In his speech during the inauguration, Duterte greeted Villar on his birthday: “I would like to take this opportunity to first greet Senator Villar, Manny, my Speaker, on his birthday. It is indeed an occasion to celebrate not only his natal day but also his meaningful contributions to our nation’s overall advancement.”
Duterte also dubbed Villar as the “true epitome of diligence and hard work,” who came from humble beginnings but managed to succeed. “Coming from a poor family, Senator Villar used his hardships as an inspiration to push through and persevere. I recognize his admirable determination to become what he is today despite his humble beginnings. Nakakatuwa talaga ang istorya niya,” he said of the former senator.
“Indeed, his sipag at tiyaga should remain a guidepost for every Filipino in reaching and realizing his aspirations in life. Let us emulate these traits so that we may also succeed as millionaires, I think, or billionaires — no, succeed in our respective interests and pursuits,” President Duterte continued.
Officials and representatives from the Department of Health (DOH), Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Las Piñas General Hospital and Satellite Trauma Center, Vice Mayors League of the Philippines, Provincial Board Members League of the Philippines, and Las Piñas City Government attended the unveiling and blessing ceremonies.