By Analou De Vera  A drug abuse treatment and rehabilitation center was recently inaugurated in Barangay Ilaya in Las Piñas City. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said the establishment of the facility was in response to President Duterte's call to "prioritize and synergize efforts to stop drug addiction." (Cynthia A. Villar official Facebook page / MANILA BULLETIN) "The Rehabilitation Center, with an area of 2,735 square meters and target bed capacity of 300, will address the high influx of surrenderers and help in the process of rehabilitation and reintegration through the effective alignment of services and programs at the community level," he said. The inauguration was also attended by Senator Cynthia Villar and Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary Ricojudge Janvier Echiverri. "Through this facility, we can now have a place in Las Piñas and neighboring cities to transform drug-dependent individuals into fully responsible and productive members of our society,” said Villar. Duque said the facility will help in addressing the "huge gap between drug dependents and treatment facilities." "According to the Dangerous Drug Board (DDB), there are about 1.3 million drug dependents in the country. While 600,000 have surrendered to authorities, the total number of beds in government and private drug rehabilitation centers is only 3,216," he said. Duque said other government agencies, particularly the DILG and the DDB, have a shared responsibility "in creating better communities where drug users are treated and rehabilitated." "It is important that we sustain the momentum we have established. The DOH is working closely with government agencies and other stakeholders to strengthen our substance abuse prevention and treatment programs to ensure that we leave no one behind,” he added.