Makati City 2nd district Rep. Luis Campos Jr. (left), President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. (Facebook)

Makati City 2nd district Rep. Luis Campos Jr. says the Marcos administration is pouring more money into public residential drug abuse treatment and rehabilitation centers (DATRCs) in an effort to address overcrowding and boost public access.

“The government will spend up to P2.7 billion in 2025 to sustain the operations and augment the beds of DATRCs under the Department of Health (DOH). The sum is P700 million higher than this year’s P2-billion allocation,” Campos said in a recent statement. 

Campos, a vice chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, says this is a 35 percent surge in funding.

The Makati solon made the statement ahead of the nation’s observance of Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Week from Nov. 17 to 23.

The third week of November of every year is dedicated to raising public awareness against the devastating effects of drug abuse on individuals, families, and society, pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 124 issued on Nov. 26, 2001.

“The 35 percent increase in the funding for DATRCs is consistent with the government’s strategy to simultaneously fight both the demand and supply sides of the drug problem,” Campos said.

“We must keep under control the demand side by providing adequate treatment and rehabilitation services to drug dependents, while suppressing the supply side by putting traffickers and pushers behind bars,” added the aspiring mayor.

Under the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Law, a drug dependent may, by himself/herself or through a parent, spouse, guardian or relative within the fourth degree of consanguinity or affinity, voluntarily apply for admission to a DOH-run DATRC.

The law also provides that a person arrested, and who is found positive for illegal drug use, after a confirmatory test, faces the minimum penalty of six months compulsory rehabilitation in a DATRC.

The DOH currently operates 23 DATRCs across the country.

Campos said the funding for DATRCs in 2025 includes P916 million in new capital outlay to enable 15 of them to increase their beds so that they can accommodate more drug dependents seeking treatment. 

He named the 15 DATRCs and their corresponding 2025 capital outlays under the Health Facilities Enhancement Program (HFEP) as follows:

• Calabarzon DATRC (P350 million)

• Tagaytay DATRC (P101.50 million)

• Las Piñas DATRC (P75 million)

• Bicutan DATRC (P65.08 million)

• Camarines Sur DATRC (P63 million)

• Malagos, Davao DATRC (P52.70 million)

• Zamboanga City DATRC (P50 million)

• Cebu City DATRC (P31.12 million)

• Argao, Cebu DATRC (P31 million)

• Malinao, Albay DATRC (P30 million)

• Bataan DATRC (P25 million)

• Bauko, Mountain Province DATRC (P15 million)

• Caraga DATRC (P14.67 million)

• San Fernando, La Union DATRC (P8.05 million)

• Malaybalay, Bukidnon DATRC (P3.50 million)