Mayor Marvin Malacon led the inauguration of the Balay Silangan Reformation Center, located at the Tumandok Village in Barangay Sto. Niño, E. B. Magalona, at rites June 6.
Balay Silangan is a community-based reformation program aimed at rehabilitating surrendered drug personalities across the country. The program builds temporary shelters for drug offenders, with the objective of reforming them into self-sufficient and law-abiding members of society.
Joining the mayor were Marjorie Ballesteros, assistant regional director of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in Western Visayas (PDEA6), for acting regional director Melvin Estoque; and P/Lt. Col. Ariel Pico, deputy provincial director for Administration of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office.
Malacon and Ballesteros signed the memorandum of agreement, as this reformation center will be operated by the municipal government and PDEA-6.
Malacon, Ballesteros, Pico, Vice Mayor Eric Matulac, P/Lt. Col. Basman Macarangal Jr., company commander of the 1st Negros Occidental Provincial Mobile Force Company; Municipal Police Station chief of police Major Kenneth Jay Gratones, and Department of the Interior and Local Government E. B. Magalona head, Atty. Pierra Lamayo, then led the unveiling of marker of Balay Silangan.
They then signed the Manifesto of Commitment for the implementation of the reformation program.
The Balay Silangan Reformation Center in E. B. Magalona is the 8th in Negros Occidental and the 75th in Western Visayas, Ballesteros said.
In his message, Malacon said he is glad that the municipality now has this kind of facility, because this is all about reformation and giving second chances to drug offenders and surrenderers.
“Let us give second chances to our young people, who have turned to illegal drugs maybe because of poverty, and let us make them productive members of our society by offering them livelihood opportunities, the mayor added in an LGU press release.
He enjoined all agencies involved in the drug reformation program to make the Balay Silangan operations in E. B. Magalona successful.
“Balay Silangan provides alternative intervention for individuals, offering livelihood training, aftercare and community reintegration programs, through coordinated efforts among the local government units, the national government, and the private sector,” Ballesteros added. ||
