About 100 drug dependents are undergoing rehabilitation and treatment through the initiative of the local government of the town of Cainta, province of Rizal.
According to Cainta administrator and former mayor Keith Nieto, they are also continuing the program of providing ex-drug dependents livelihood opportunities and jobs.
The town has its own drug dependency rehabilitation center.
"The option is always open for them as long as they undergo rehabilitation and get therapy," said Nieto whose wife Elen, a lawyer, is presently mayor after he completed three consecutive terms.
"There's also a certification being issued to them that they are really safe to return to work; then we welcome them," Nieto told this writer.
He said that if the rehabilitation beneficiaries have better job offers elsewhere, they are always free to go and are not bound to work for the town. A number of rehabilitated residents have found employment in the town's public service departments.
The important thing is that the erstwhile drug dependents are able to complete their detoxification program so that private companies can accept them as workers, Nieto said.
Office works are among the jobs offered by the local government to former drug dependents, including encoding and information technology related postings, he explained.
Field works are also available, Nieto said.
"It's also one of the options but immediately, so they don't think we're delaying, they can get employed immediately," he added.
