The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR), in partnership with Resorts World Manila, has handed over the sum of P350 million to the city government to enable it to build a drug rehabilitation facility in Baranggay Malagos, Baguio District in Davao City, setting the stage for other gaming firms to contribute likewise in support to President Duterte’s fight against illegal drugs.
City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte-Carpio made the disclosure here on Tuesday during the groundbreaking of a new state-of-the-art treatment and rehabilitation facility which will be annexed to the existing Davao City Treatment and Rehabilitation Center for Drug Dependents (DCTRCDD) in Bago Oshiro.
The facility, which is set for completion hopefully by December 2017, will consist of one huge building that could accommodate 250 to 350 drug dependents who wanted to be rehabilitated. It will be handed over to the City Government upon completion as part of the company’s corporate social responsibility obligation.
At the groundbreaking ceremony, Mayor Duterte-Carpio thanked PAGCOR and Resorts World for the donation, saying facility will definitely help the drug dependents return their families and contribute to nation building.
Kingston Siam, representative of Travelers International Hotel Group Inc. – Resorts World Manila, said the donation is their contribution to the city government as their commitment to help and support the country in the fight against illegal drugs.
“[It is] Our sincere hope that this [help] will serve as long-lasting and meaningful contribution for the country,” he added.
The PAGCOR chairperson, Andrea Domingo, for her part, said that they have discussed the facility with Dr. Andrew Tan, the chairman of Travelers International Hotel Group Inc. – Resorts World Manila, last July.
“He would like to put up two rehabilitation facilities in the Philippines and we [PAGCOR] immediately suggested to prioritize the facility in Davao,” Domingo said, adding that they will build another facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Quezon City.
She explained that Davao can also accommodate the neighboring provinces as well.
Domingo stressed that they had to help the President in the fight against illegal drugs by helping in rehabilitation of the illegal narcotics victims since “they are not law enforcers and PAGCOR cannot help in arresting these people.”
“This is the first project that our board has made and implemented in Davao because we have to remove this mindset from the people that everyone who works in the government and for the president are inciting evil in the society,” she pointed out.
Mayor Duterte-Carpio, on the other hand, said that the City Government of Davao will also contribute for the operations of the new rehabilitation facility.
“The Drug Rehabilitation Office has one year to plan everything for the operations and the budget for running the facility,” she pointed out, adding that they will also discuss the same matter with the Department of Health.
