Center for Rehabilitation and Treatment for Drug and Alcohol Dependent Youths 1

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND AND NATURE OF THE PROJECT

It is said that in order to have a successful country, the citizens must be a part of the

building process of it. Basically, the country’s standing will be based on the people

living in it and one’s participation is indeed very important compared to none at all for

it will have a huge impact not only to themselves but to the community as a whole

(NARIC, 2012).

According to the United Nation Statistics Division, youth ages 15 to 24 are currently

19.17% of the total population of the country. Given the said statistic, this leaves us

with the question in mind: how will one address the needs of almost one-fifth of the

country’s population?

Currently, the youth plays a big role in the society. Due to the uncontrolled number of

social media, gadgets and technologies expanding and producing each day, the lack of

supervision from those who know better makes it harder to educate the youth correctly

and properly. With just a click on the Internet, one’s life can be ruined and thus leading

to the increase concern of issues that the youth faces today (Torrevillas, 2017).

The period wherein one transforms from young to young adult is a very risky period.

Since these people have their own thinking, it is possible that they sometimes

experiment and try new things out of curiosity. Thus leading to choices that they would

regret further in life.

Rehabilitation according to Gender (2008) is established on the principle that all

individuals have inherent worth and have the right to be experts in their own health

care. Each person is viewed as a unique, comprehensive and holistic being.

Rehabilitation is one of the best ways to control exploitations within a particular region.

Not only will it help patients to have better lives but it will also help the entire

population to gain more manpower and proper handling of jobs.

According to Dangerous Drug Boards (2016), an increase of thirty percent (29.86%)

admission on rehabilitation centers throughout the country compared from the previous

year was noted which may be brought about by the following reasons: intensified

advocacy program of the government to convince families to love and support those

who have experienced drugs and substance abuse and need to undergo treatment and

rehabilitation; the continuous improvement of treatment and rehabilitation programs,

methodologies, facilities and service; and conduct of in- house seminars and dialogues

to better serve those who need interventions. On the other hand, the intensified

operations conducted by the law enforcement that led to the increasing arrests of users

for rehabilitation may also be attributed to the increase of admission to the treatment

and rehabilitation facilities.

Based on the educational attainment, twenty-eight percent (28.34%) of the center’s

patients comprised those who have reached college level, followed by those who

reached high school with twenty-three percent (23.12%) and those who have finished

high school at eighteen percent (18.35%). The average monthly family income among
Center for Rehabilitation and Treatment for Drug and Alcohol Dependent Youths 3

center clients is ten thousand one hundred seventy-two pesos (Php10, 172.00). Of the

total admission from various treatment facilities, fifty-three percent (53.20%) are

unemployed, twenty percent (19.77%) are skilled/unskilled workers, and seven percent

(6.94%) are out–of-school youth. Almost forty-four percent (43.89%) of the reported

cases are residing in the National Capital Region (NCR) prior to their rehabilitation,

while eighteen percent (18.59%) and seventeen percent (17.27%) come from Region

IV-A and Region IV-B respectively.

As to the age when the client first tried to use drugs, around forty-nine percent (48.85%)

of the reported cases belong to the age group of 15-19 years old. Almost fifty-nine

percent (58.52%) have taken drugs 2 – 5 times a week while twenty-one percent

(20.64%) take it on a daily basis.

Considering that only 14 Regional Rehabilitation Centers for the Youth was established

by Department of Social Welfare and Development, and only 19 Local Government

Units put up “Bahay Pag-asa” across the country with only 13 of these centers are

operational, the issue of putting up more rehabilitation center is highly recommended.

“Bahay Pag-asa” is a well-known 24-hour child-caring establishment that deals with

short-term residential care for children aged 13 to 17, who are expecting court

disposition, repeat offenders, and those considered neglected, abandoned or abused

(Ronda, 2015). It is a place where children get to develop themselves thru the help of

professionals.
Center for Rehabilitation and Treatment for Drug and Alcohol Dependent Youths 4

Bearing in mind the massive number of Filipino youth nowadays who are facing

difficulties and uncertainties in life, such drug and substance abuse, the project is all

about providing opportunities to the youth in order to develop their physical, social,

emotional and intellectual capabilities. Not only will the project focus on the

development of the youth but it will also give attention to the youth’s most sought after

activities and happenings all in one place.

The project will be a rehabilitation and treatment center for the youth who is currently

having troubles with drug and substance abuse. The center will serve as one-stop

activity center when it comes to healing, training and lodging which will cater to the

youth’s difficulty in overcoming drug and substance abuse and are in need of immediate

attention.

Fig 1.1 Youth Center in Cebu

1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The shortage of rehabilitation centers in the country that focuses on incapacitating drug

and alcohol abuse makes it harder to educate teenagers and it generates more chances

of having high-rates for crimes among youth. This also creates lesser possibilities of

recuperation. According to Ronda (2015), the number of rehabilitation centers in the

country is insufficient considering the huge number of minors. In Metro Manila, where

the city centers are located, only Marikina City has set up a rehabilitation center for the

youth.

The Filipino youth today faces numerous concerns that need to be resolved right away

and drug and substance abuse are two of those concerns. The need to institute more

rehabilitation centers focusing on restoration of troubled youth is very much needed

since the number of youth that seeks health care is continuing to increase because of

President Rodrigo Duterte’s platform ‘War on Drugs’. This campaign has pushed drug

users and pushers to register with authorities in a process termed “surrendering” (De

Castro, 2016).

Meanwhile, a place for leisure available in the country is also limited for the youth.

Different developers build enormous malls and high-rise buildings such as

condominiums, hotels and offices in the playgrounds and public spaces that they bought

which is supposedly dedicated for the use of the community. In other cases, informal

settlers housed some playgrounds and parks within the metro thus diminishing the real

purpose of the site. This also creates a notion among citizens that playgrounds are most

of the time unsafe.

1.3 PROJECT GOAL AND OBJECTIVES

Project Goal

Based from UN’s 16th Goal: “Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable

development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, and inclusive

institutions at all levels”; it is greatly important to consider the existing problems that

the youth faces today. With careful examination of what are the causes of such

problems, it will be a lot easier to know where to focus in treating the patients.

The main goal of the project is to provide a recovering place for the youth ages 15 to

24 who are under the influence of drug and alcohol addiction to help them live better

lives through effective services.

Project Objectives

To offer different areas for treatment suitable for the needs of the users of the building;

1. To introduce clients to new activities that will develop their sense of personal

worth and self-esteem;

2. To provide diverse facilities that will cater to the needs of the youth ages 15 to

24 in order to promote a more peaceful society; and

3. To help clients build a lasting support network that will sustain them in

recovery.
Center for Rehabilitation and Treatment for Drug and Alcohol Dependent Youths 7

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT

Economic

Since the project will hold programs with regards to the developing of the youth’s skills

such as but not limited to weaving, painting and recycling, finished products from the

said programs can be sold to the market thus raising funds for the enhancement of the

center.

Educational

Aside from the regular educational subjects that are already offered by institutions, the

implementation of programs that will help in the development of physical, mental and

social skills of the youth will be provided in the center that will help them to evolve to

better citizens of the country.

Environmental

With structures sprawling everywhere, this creates an array of environmental problems

within the city. The project will give importance to the current climate changes that the

world is undergoing. With careful planning and deliberate designing, the project would

be able to take part in conserving the Earth.

Social

The project delivers fresh opportunities for socialization in Tanay, Rizal. Proposing a

space where every youth is encouraged to go, the project highlights the significance of

community gathering and information exchange by including common spaces suitable

for large assemblies and public events. The project will not only focus on the youth
Center for Rehabilitation and Treatment for Drug and Alcohol Dependent Youths 8

residing in Tanay but instead it is open and available to the youth from all over the

Philippines. Tours can be made as an activity wherein teenagers coming from different

parts of the country can enter the center and get to meet new friends and communicate

and exchange ideas and experiences.

Spiritual

Because the Philippines is known as one of the most religious countries across the

globe, worshipping areas such as prayer rooms will be made accessible for the users of

the buildings.
Center for Rehabilitation and Treatment for Drug and Alcohol Dependent Youths 9

1.5 SCOPE AND LIMITATION

The main users involved for the project will be the youth aged 15-24, as the project will

provide venue to accommodate their needs to become better versions of themselves. It

will also include professionals from various fields, such as but not limited to teachers,

doctors, and psychologists, wherein spaces will be provided for them such as offices

and conference rooms for socialization and treatment.

The project can accommodate patients from the neighboring provinces and cities of

Rizal. Since it is said the most number of drug and alcohol users came from the urban

area, they are welcome to visit and be rehabilitated in the center.

The project is a Rehabilitation and Treatment Center that provides support and assists

youth in making positive connection to help them transition to adulthood. Different

programs will be available to the youth to enroll and be part of. With the help of these

programs, it is envisioned that they should have improvements after some time.

PWDs who would like to seek therapy sessions are only limited in the ground floor of

the project. They will be provided with alternative rooms for their sessions.
Center for Rehabilitation and Treatment for Drug and Alcohol Dependent Youths 10

1.6 DEFINITION OF TERMS

1.6.1 ACRONYMS

DDB - Dangerous Drugs Board

DOH - Department of Health

DSWD - Department of Social Welfare and Development

GPE - Global Partnership for Education

LGUs - Local Government Units

NARIC - National Rehabilitation Information Center

NCR - National Capital Region

NGOs - Non-Government Organizations

NTA - National Tobacco Administration

PDP - Philippine Demographics Profile

PNP - Philippine National Police

PSA - Philippine Statistics Authority

RRCY - Regional Rehabilitation Center for the Youth

UN - United Nations

UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural

Organization

WBA - World Boxing Association

1.6.2 DEFINITIONS

Addiction - the fact or condition of being addicted to a particular

substance, thing, or activity.

Adulthood - the state or condition of being fully-grown or mature.

Drug dependent - an adaptive state that develops from repeated drug

administration, and which results in withdrawal upon cessation of drug

use.

Juvenile - young people who have committed or are accused of

committing a criminal offense

Rehabilitation - the action of restoring someone to health or normal life

through training and therapy after imprisonment, addiction, or illness.

Recreation - activity done for enjoyment when one is not working.

Sustainable - a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the

resource is not depleted or permanently damaged

Therapy - the treatment of mental or psychological disorders by

psychological means.

Unemployed - without a paid job but available to work.

Underemployed - not having enough paid work or not doing work that

makes full use of their skills and abilities.

Youth - the period between childhood and adult age.