by Miriam G. Desacada Ormoc City–Albuera (Leyte) Mayor Rolan “Kerwin” Espinosa led the inauguration of the Balay Silangan Reformation Center on March 3 in Barangay Canlalin 1, Poblacion, becoming the sixth town in the province to establish the facility as part of its intensified anti-drug campaign. During the ceremony, the mayor signed a memorandum of agreement with Vice Mayor Mariel Marinay, and members of the Sangguniang Bayan, with representatives from several national agencies and partner institutions for the operations of the Balay Silangan. Present during the launch were officials from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) Leyte Provincial Office, the Albuera Municipal Police Station, Bureau of Fire Protection, Department of Education, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), along with the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office, faith-based groups, and private partners. Balay Silangan, a flagship program supported by PDEA, is a community-based intervention initiative for former drug users who voluntarily surrendered under the government’s anti-illegal drugs campaign. It had bee designed to provide a structured and supportive environment focused on recovery and reintegration of drug dependents. Local officials said the facility will promote holistic reform through values formation, psychological and spiritual counseling, life skills development, and vocational training. TESDA and Brightspark International Training and Assessment Center have joined as partners of the LGU so that rehabilitated and reintegrated beneficiaries will gain access to technical skills training to improve their chances of employment. Eleanor Tamse, MADAC and CBDRP focal person and the center’s director, described the facility as a beacon of hope for individuals seeking to break free from substance dependency. Mayor Espinosa reiterated his commitment to making Albuera “drug-free,” a matter that has been on top of priorities of his administration. The mayor’s firm anti-drug stance comes amid his family’s controversial past. He and his late father, former mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr., were previously tagged by former president Rodrigo Duterte as alleged major drug personalities in Eastern Visayas. The elder Espinosa was shot and killed inside a prison facility in Baybay City, Leyte on November 5, 2016, at the height of the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign. The establishment of Balay Silangan reflects Mayor Kerwin’s focus on reforming his town from a controversial image into a model of hope for victims of drug abuse and a source of discouragement for drug traders. Balay Silangan also aligns with the national government’s shift toward community-based rehabilitation that combines law enforcement with social support, education, and livelihood opportunities. —-Miriam G. Desacada Please share Post navigation War abroad upsets local lives
