The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has approved the release of funding for the completion of additional construction works at a drug rehabilitation facility in Cavite. Budget Secretary Amenah F. Pangandaman said the DBM approved the release of P48.8 million to the Department of Health (DOH) for the completion of the Drug Abuse Treatment and Rehabilitation Center (DATRC) in Trece Martires. Pangandaman said the funding aims to support the government's commitment to enforcing the law on illegal drug use and abuse while prioritizing the rehabilitation of victims and drug users. "Among the priorities of the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is to not just fully enforce the law when it comes to illegal drug use and abuse but also on rehabilitation of victims or drug users," Pangandaman said in a statement Tuesday, July 11. The approved funds will be chargeable against the grant proceeds from the Japan International Cooperation Agency – Program for Consolidated Rehabilitation of Illegal Drug Users and the automatic appropriations under the 2023 national budget. The additional construction works at the DATRC will enhance the center's capacity to accommodate more patients and provide rehabilitation services. "The government will see to it that the upkeep of the country's existing facilities on drug abuse treatment and rehabilitation will continue by allotting necessary budget for that purpose,” the budget chief said. DATRC is a JICA-funded facility covering a five-hectare area. Since its inauguration in June 2022, the center has been providing comprehensive care and treatment for individuals with high-risk drug dependence. Operated by the DOH, the DATRC can currently accommodate up to 480 patients, with separate sections for male and female individuals. The facility primarily serves residents from the South and Central Luzon regions, who are willing to undergo intensive in-patient treatment and rehabilitation.