Thursday, June 11, 2015

THE POWER OF HOPE

For The Bohol Tribune
In This Our Journey
NESTOR MANIEBO PESTELOS


The response to our appeal that we build a drug rehabilitation center cum mental health facility in Bohol to address the swelling ranks of drug abuse victims and those with aberrant behavior remains lukewarm if not downright tepid.  We remain hopeful, however, an overwhelming majority will see the merit of coming out from the dark where their fears and timidity have consigned them to passivity and inaction. This hope, which flickers with diminishing intensity from day to day, is fanned to renewed brightness each time we receive encouragement from people especially from those we have not met personally.

One such person is Mam Corazon Jamero Logarta, retired professor of Holy Name University, who emailed us 05 June to say she was a regular reader of this column and noted that “the envisioned establishment of a rehabilitation center here in our province has not taken off despite the fact the its plan has taxied for quite a long while already.”

The former psychology and philosophy teacher adds:  “ I cannot understand what is keeping the plan from being realized when the community has everything to gain and nothing to lose , sociologically, psychologically, and spiritually.”  

She then asks: “Is it possible that people, even if interested in the project, do not know where and how they can help? Or if the specifics have been drawn, is it possible that the interested groups or individuals need to be contacted, engaged, invited and /or interviewed?”

In response to this query, we would like to assure Mam Corazon Logarta that with our limited means at present, our NGO is trying everything possible to reach as many people possible with this appeal using mostly social media due to our limited resources.

Mam Logarta notes:  “It would be such a pity if the envisioned project would not be realized. If it was realized in Davao, in  Cebu and other provinces , why not in Bohol.? If there is anything that this 82 year old lady can do, let me know. through email or over a cup of coffee, here at home
(Garcia-Hernandez).”

The good-hearted professor actually came yesterday to Crescencia, a newly-opened meeting place in Baclayon, earlier than those who were scheduled to attend the continuing series of consultations among those who support the current advocacy to do something concrete about the drug abuse problem in Bohol. She opted for a one-on-one meeting since the others had not arrived yet and she had to go back to Garcia Hernandez.

We informed her that at this sixth month of our advocacy, after preparing and presenting to potential project partners a total of seven proposals, we have achieved the following milestones:

-an assurance from the New Day Recovery Center in Davao that they would invest in a similar facility in Bohol on a piece of land made available through us upon completion of a feasibility study that they themselves will conduct;

-willingness of the staff of It Works Chemical Dependency Treatment Center headed by Rene Francisco in Ozamiz City to come to Bohol and provide technical advice in setting up an Outreach and Drop-In Center for Drug Dependents;

-commitment by noted Psychiatrist Miriam Cue of NDRC Davao and the Professional Regulatory Commission to conduct training and/or facilitate the training of those who will be involved in pre-treatment and treatment services for community facilitators and technical staff with assistance from the Colombo Plan Drug Assistance Program based in Sri Lanka;

-commitment of Fr. Jimbo Saco, newly-installed parish priest of Maribojoc, to study how a Drop-In Center can be established and operated in his parish;

-willingness of several officers/officials of the Municipality of Baclayon to support a program on livelihood for out-of-school youth as part of a drug rehabilitation project;

-acceptance by retired Dean Carrie Tharan of Miriam College of her nomination as member of the Board of Trustees of BLDF to assume as Chair of the Advocacy and Fund Raising Committee;

-organization of several support groups to identify target contributors to the fund drive and to carry out activities in support of the Youth Livelihood Assistance Project;

-cash donations from Ian and Sally Robinson, Vicky Carias Goodall, and Ingrid Schoof  to kick off the fund campaign in a network of friends most whom I have not met personally; and

-commitment of former classmates at the Quezon Provincial High School to sell copies of the 2nd edition of the book, Old Warrior and Other Poems, to support BLDF and its advocacy for Youth Livelihood and the building of Outreach and Drop-in Centers for Drug Dependents in Bohol.

I admit these so-called milestones do not amount to anything near to helping us achieve the ultimate goal of having drop-in centers and a drug rehabilitation center cum mental health facility for a province of 1.2 million people.  They are however significant in a situation where there has been no specific and concrete initiative before.

My close friends both inside or outside Facebook often ask what gives me hope that we will achieve this almost impossible goal of building these facilities in Bohol given the general apathy of the public themselves and apparently their leaders in faith-based organizations;  in the schools where their children spend most of their time in a day;  the offices whose companies will be the first to suffer should there be a breakdown of the social order,  in case the number of brain-damaged individuals exceeds those with normal and heathy brains; the governance mechanisms and community structures which will be prevented from functioning properly due to the breakdown of law and order and, more importantly, the collapse of moral authority within the family and the local institutions.

Why do I still nourish hope in the face of this seemingly formidable wall that separates our advocacy and the events of everyday life with different priorities identified by the Government and the Church which seem to exclude the need to address the drug menace in our midst?

I still hope that the forces of goodness will triumph over evil, that a cause powered by hope, love and faith will win the hearts and minds of the people as shown by the triumph of previous advocacies we have been involved in through the years in this province we all profess to love forever and ever:

-the peace and development efforts carried out in this province by the simple distribution of seeds, water and sanitary toilets, the provision of roads and schools to remote areas made possible by invisible hands toiling in the night to plan details and by the extension agents of various disciplines reaching out to people unnoticed and unrecognized by those in power who appropriate their accomplishments among the people as their own;

-the elimination or at best, the massive reduction of child malnutrition, infant deaths, school drop-out rates, illiteracy and the sheer despair common among the young in remote villages which preoccupied development workers in an earlier age carried out unnoticed by the hierarchy of self-promotion and bureaucratic intrigues;

-the elimination of distrust and anger on the part of those who have been wronged by the corrupt ways of those who are supposed to lead them by the simple demonstration of thoughtfulness and caring during moments of profound anguish and sorrow done by anonymous field workers of various creeds in heroic efforts to bring a sense of social justice to victims of injustice and inequality fostered by divisive political forces;

-the simple gestures of kindness among neighbors extended to those most in need and encouraged by hundreds of development workers across agencies and faiths often without the knowledge of the bureaucrats who rule over them with archaic rules and standards.

As long as these disparate remnants of enlightened civilization exist in small settlements and clusters of organized living to inspire families and local communities to strive and struggle for a better life, then there is hope we can still bring such streams and rivers and seas of our humanity back to what we call the vast ocean of our human struggle for a better life in Bohol.

Now I rest my case. #newdaybohol  

NMP/11 June 2015/6.03 p.m.

Saturday, June 6, 2015

MORE ABOUT OUTREACH AND DROP-IN CENTERS

For The Bohol Tribune
In This Our Journey
NESTOR MANIEBO PESTELOS


In meetings I had this week with several key informants (a Chief of Police and her Deputy ; a special assistant to the Mayor; a Vice Mayor; a housewife which our family helped obtain a college degree; a retired Dean; a psychology graduate looking for a better job;  some faculty members and researchers from two academic institutions; an employee of a commercial bank; the employer whose household help was raped by her own son; a municipal officer who suspects a relative is a drug abuser; a former drug abuser; ), I have come to the conclusion that what is urgently needed at this stage in Bohol is a network of what the UN calls as Outreach and Drop-In Centers for Drug Dependents or ODICs.

All those I talked with agreed that such a vital facility can provide early detection, referral and initial treatment to drug abuse victims and could have prevented the occurrence of crimes such as those that have become regular news in the media which becloud the positive image that we have been trying to project to tourists and the world.  More importantly, we risk losing our self-esteem and cultural pride if we cannot find an effective strategy to provide prompt interventions to drug abuse victims to complement efforts by the Government and the police to stop the distribution and use of illegal drugs in the province.

In a previous column, published the week of 26 April to 02 May, I devoted more than ten paragraphs describing this facility as part of a proposal submitted to potential donors.  As cited in that column, the services made available through the ODICs are as follows: consultation, counselling and evaluation; screening and assessment; case management;  and enhancing community awareness about drug addiction.

Allow me to add more information on this facility that we recommend to be built while waiting for the drug rehabilitation center cum mental health facility which may take three years or more to be established.  I will share with you some interesting facts I have come to know about ODICs in the hope that you will be able to be part of this emerging advocacy to build ODICs in strategic areas in our province.

To convince us about the importance of each ODIC, let me list below the specific tasks and services of each ODIC as cited by the Drug Advisory Program (DAP) implemented by the Colombo Plan Secretariat based Sri Lanka:  

 To provide early intervention services and counseling to recovering drug addicts to prevent relapse;
b.      To provide motivation and counseling to the addicted persons, and co-dependents/family members to seek treatment;
c.       To involve the community and significant others to help the drug addicts and their families in their recovery journeys;
d.      To reach out and provide basic information, knowledge and literature to addicted persons who do not want to appear in the hospitals or treatment centers;
e.       To provide home-based treatment for those in remote areas, particularly women where treatment facilities are not available;
f.       To provide a place and encourage the meetings of the support groups for recovering persons and co-dependents;
g.       To facilitate vocational training, job placements, develop self-employment and income generating activities for recovering persons; and
h.      To help recovering persons to join mainstream society as productive citizens and continue their recovery journey successfully.

It will come as a surprise to many that the CPDAP has supported the establishment of ODICs in the Philippines along with those in other countries during the past eight years. These organizations are the following:

1.     Open Hand, Maldives
2.     Society for Women Against Drugs, Maldives
3.     The Welfare Association for the Development of Afghanistan, Afghanistan
4.     Ashokti Punorbashon Nibash, Bangladesh
5.     Dhaka Ahsania Mission, Bangladesh
6.     Society for Promotion of Youth and Masses – Delhi, India
7.     Society for Promotion of Youth and Masses – Kashmir, India
8.     Yayasan Kelompok Peduli Penyalahgunaan Narkoba – Makassar, Indonesia
9.     Yayasan Pontianak Plus – Pontianak, Indonesia
10. Department Of Health Region XI – Davao, Philippines
11. Pattani Drug Treatment Centre, Thailand
12. Youth Development Fund – Thimphu, Bhutan
13. Youth Development Fund – Bumthang, Bhutan

The activities carried out by these centers include outreach visits; early intervention strategies such as pre-treatment counseling, home-based detoxification; short-term outpatient or home-based treatment; referrals to hospitals or drug treatment centres; organization and conduct of education and training programs by professionals on drug awareness, training of outreach support staff and volunteers, and skills training; and encouraging family members to come to the centers for counseling.

The CPDAP notes:

“Though there are some shortcomings in some of the established ODICs during the early stages of operation, these centres have successfully assisted many recovering persons and their families. With regular training, guidance and close monitoring, the CPDAP aims to reinforce the activities of the ODICs, sustain and continue the services effectively.”

As for the ODIC in Davao City, the CPDAP website says: “The drug awareness, treatment and rehabilitation in the Davao region made a difference in the lives of drug users with the assistance of the Colombo Plan,” quoting the program manager himself.
The same website notes: “In July 2012, The Central Health Development Region XI-Davao (CHDXI) which is covering four provinces and the Davao City received the Colombo Plan support to improve their existing Outreach and Drop-in Centre program through funding from INL, US Department of State.
It further says: “In the Philippines, the government has an ongoing battle against drug abuse and trafficking for in 2001 to 6.7 million in 2005 as per a survey conducted by the Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB).
“Under the Law, Department of Health is the lead agency in the program of treatment and rehabilitation for drug dependents...As the government organization, CHDXI has become a special hospital for the families and serve as interlink between the Department of Health and the Communities. CHDXI has developed a Multi-Sectoral Team Approach (MSTA) to help address the drug menace in Davao Region. MSTA is composed of the National Government Agencies, Community Social and Health Workers from the Local Government Units, and Non-Governmental Organizations.”
The regional health agency implements the ODIC with the “community-based approach with community services like family counseling, home visit, employment and livelihood assistance project, spiritual mentoring, and referral. The specialized services like assessment, psychotherapy, drug testing, individual and group counseling are provided by the CHDXI that geared towards smooth reintegration of Substance Use Disorders (SUDs) to their families, and prevent the recurrence of relapse.”
The Colombo Plan website further notes:                                                                    
“The ODIC in Davao has also coordinated and collaborated with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to sustain and improve the delivery of services. It worked towards teaching and instructing drug users in prevention or management of relapse and developing new social networks and peer-group programs.
“The Colombo Plan supported ODIC has helped in reducing the stigma and instilling confidence and support among the SUDs. It also inculcated the refusal skills among the youth to stay away from peer pressure and developed strong will power to resist temptations. The clients were given spiritual and emotional support. Early detection of using drugs has prevented from recurrence of relapse. ..”
It looks like Davao is also the model for ODICs with government as the lead agency as it is for drug rehabilitation centers cum mental health facility run as private business.

In our column of 23 April, we gave basic information as to the infrastructure requirements, staffing, operational details and costs of operating the facility for at least a year. The total costs of infrastructure, staffing and operations for a year will cost PHP 830, 425.00. This can be reduced to PHP 524, 425.00 if there is an old building or office that can be utilized.

We at our NGO, Bohol Local Development Foundation (BLDF), believe that a parish, a faith-based organization or a Local Government Unit can easily raise this amount if they will put their heart and soul into it. This drop-in center is what we urgently need at the moment to extend much-needed services to hundreds of families who are burdened by the drug menace in our midst and regain whatever we have lost during the past few months in terms of prestige and well-being.

Those who want to support this advocacy for having a network of Outreach and Drop-In Centers as an initiative to address the drug menace in our midst, email us at npestelos@gmail.com; or send us text at 09173041450. Visit our website www.bohollocaldev.org.

We have scheduled another consultation meeting for all those interested to support this advocacy
On: Wednesday, 10 June 2015
starting at : 9.00 a.m.
at Crescencia, 6 to 7 Food Station, Poblacion, Baclayon


 #Boholdrop-incenters. 

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

REVISED PROJECT BRIEF


Note: Based on the series of consultations conducted by BLDF with representati, ves of various sectors, we have revised the Project Brief to reflect more the primary objective, which is to provide livelihood assistance to the youth with focus on those who are out of school and unemployed. Livelihood assistance is seen as key strategy to a) help indigent families cope with the need to provide treatment services to drug abuse victims among their members; b) utilize livelihood activities during the treatment phase; and c) assist in the family and community integration of former drug abuse victims.

We invite comments to this revised Project Brief:

PROJECT BRIEF

FUND CAMPAIGN TO SUPPORT BOHOL YOUTH LIVELIHOOD ASSISTANCE PROJECT (BYLAP)

1.0 Background/RaSItionale

In recent months, newspaper headlines in Bohol tend to show that the province has become a major transshipment point, if not primary destination, for illegal drugs and that drug pushers and their victims have increased quite significantly over the last few years.

Drug-related killings and other heinous crimes, such as rape (in one case, a mother was raped by her own son who is a drug addict); physical assault, theft and robbery have become common reading fare in local papers.  More than a dozen drug pushers have been shot dead or wounded in broad daylight, in busy streets of Tagbilaran City and in the towns, in a province which used to have a reputation as being crime-free and among the country’s most peaceful places.

More than 50% of crimes committed in the province are reportedly drug-related. Alcoholism is getting to be rampant particularly among the youth.  Mental health cases have also been noted to be on the rise.

The province with a population of more than 1.2 million has no drug rehabilitation center or a mental health facility to cope with these behavior-related problems. Family members affected with substance abuse and other addictions, mental illness, adjustment disorders and other psychological problems have to be brought to Cebu, Davao, Manila and Tagaytay City in Cavite province for their treatment.

 Indigent families in the province have difficulty seeking treatment for their affected members on account of the high costs involved. If untreated, this increasing number of individuals with various forms of addiction will lead to more crimes in the future.

Psychology students in Bohol have no access to clinical training and supervision in the province, and so they have to spend more money to go to institutions outside Bohol for their practicum and clinical internship training as required under their curriculum. This internship program is of vital importance now with the international alignment and standardization of psychology education and practice, following ASEAN integration in 2015, the open skies policy, and the free mobility of professionals and learners in the region in the years to come.

There is also the need to provide livelihood opportunities to households affected by the problems related to drug abuse and mental health to further ensure project sustainability. Engagement of clients in livelihood activities can also be part of treatment and rehabilitation to further ensure reintegration into normal community and family life after the rehabilitation phase.

Moreover, it has been recognized that without community involvement, without local communities and families accepting their role in the prevention, pre-treatment, treatment and after-care phases of drug demand reduction/elimination, it will be difficult to ensure early detection, diagnosis, appropriate intervention, and full family and community reintegration after treatment and rehabilitation.

Taking all these into account, multi-sectoral efforts are thus needed to cope with social problems caused by increasing cases of drug abuse and the rise in the number of people who need psychological intervention and other psycho-social services.

These will necessarily include:

a comprehensive public awareness campaign aimed at enlisting people and institutions at the grassroots level in the fight against drug abuse; and

a rehabilitation center which will combine community-based approaches with cost-effective clinical methods and a humanitarian and eclectic strategy to deal with hundreds of drug users who now inhabit practically all the barangays in the province whose presence threatens social stability and the attainment of peace and progress and represents a sheer waste in human resources.

a mental health facility as part of the recovery center.

Taking the foregoing into account, an advocacy and fund campaign is needed for this Bohol Youth Livelihood Assistance Project (BYLAP).

2.0 Overall Goal and Objectives

The overall goal is to raise funds to meet the following objectives:

2.1 To provide out-of-school youth with skills to enable them to get employed, undertake livelihood activities, or to continue their schooling through the Alternative Learning System (ALS) or any of TESDA-accredited training institutions;

2.2 To establish demonstration sites or projects for scaling up Informal Employment and Sustainable Livelihood among families with out-of-school youth and/or drug abuse victims;

2.2 To  help provide access to treatment services to drug abuse victims from indigent families and thus prevent social problems arising from drug abuse;

2.3 To assist in implementing activities related to creating public awareness about drug abuse, the need for counselling and other pre-treatment services in partnership with the Government, NGOs, academic institutions and other CSOs and target communities; and

2.4 To monitor and evaluate the progress made by former drug abuse clients to ensure post-treatment are provided for their full recovery and integration with their families and local communities through livelihood assistance.

3.0 Organization and Management

3.1 Convenor: Bohol Local Development Foundation, Inc. (BLDF)

See Annex 1: Notes on BLDF.

BLDF will facilitate the organization of the following:

3.1.1 Advocacy and Fund Raising Committee

Role: to formulate guidelines and oversee the implementation of the various fund raising activities.

To be composed of : a Chairperson and five members representing the various sectors – business; academic institutions; Government; women and youth sectors; civic groups.

3.1.2 Secretariat

Role: to coordinate activities and provide technical and administrative support to the implementation of the Advocacy and Fund Raising Plan.

To be composed of: a Coordinator; volunteers/fund campaign secretaries; office secretary/bookkeeper; researcher/IT specialist; driver.

Email: npestelos@gmail.com; Website: www.bohollocaldev.org