TACLOBAN CITY– Strengthening its response to illegal drugs through rehabilitation rather than punishment alone, the Municipality of Albuera on March 3 formally opened its own Balay Silangan Reformation Center, becoming the sixth town in Leyte to establish the facility.
The launch and signing of the memorandum of agreement were held in Canlalin 1, Poblacion, gathering local officials, law enforcement units, and partner agencies in a unified push for community-based recovery programs.
Mayor Rolan Espinosa led the ceremony alongside Vice Mayor Mariel Marinay and Sangguniang Bayan Member Rolando Ebcas Jr., chair of the Committee on Public Order, Safety and Human Rights.
They were joined by Eleanor Tamse, focal person of the Municipal Anti-Drug Abuse Council (MADAC) and Community-Based Drug Rehabilitation Program (CBDRP), who will serve as the center director.
The Balay Silangan program, initiated by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), provides a structured intervention for drug reformists, focusing on values formation, spiritual enrichment, life skills training, and livelihood development.
Representing PDEA Leyte during the event was IAV Bryan Ponferrada on behalf of Regional Director Levi Ortiz, reaffirming the agency’s support for local government-led rehabilitation efforts.
Also present were Major Franklin Romeo Parangan, acting chief of the Albuera Municipal Police Station, and SFO3 Romulo Mascariñas, municipal fire marshal, underscoring the collaboration of public safety sectors in the initiative.
Education and skills development partners — including the Department of Education’s North and South Districts, the Alternative Learning System, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Region VIII, and Brightspark International Training and Assessment Center, Inc. — pledged support to help reformists gain competencies for employment and reintegration.
Local officials emphasized that the center is envisioned as more than a rehabilitation facility. It will serve as a safe space where recovering individuals can address substance dependency while receiving psychosocial support and vocational training to rebuild their lives.
With the opening of the Balay Silangan Reformation Center, Albuera reinforces its commitment to a balanced anti-drug strategy — one that promotes accountability but also offers healing, dignity, and a second chance.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
