DAVAO CITY — The City Council here passed on second reading an ordinance prescribing the imposition of fees for the services of Davao City treatment and rehabilitation center.
Two sessions before the end of 17th Davao City council, the City councilors approved on Tuesday, June 14 the ordinance prescribing the collection of fees from drug dependents who will avail of the services of the Davao City treatment and rehabilitation center.
The proponent of the ordinance, city councilor Bernard Al-ag said that among the clients are other drug dependents who are not from City.
“There are a lot (of drug dependents) who avail of the treatment facility are not residing here in Davao,” he said.
The councilor said that he would like to impose a fee because he “wants to encourage other Local Government Units (LGUs) to put up their own rehab centers.”
Al-ag said that Davao City is the only rehab center here in Mindanao that is under the local government.
He added that there are a lot of well-off people who are willing to pay for the center’s services.
“They are willing to pay, but we don’t have corresponding ordinance that enables us to collect fees to them,” he said.
Based on the ordinance proposed fee, the dependents who are not a resident in Davao City, shall pay P10,000 per month. For Davao City residents with monthly income above the poverty threshold of more than 50 percent, the fee shall be P5,000 per month. Meanwhile, Davao City residents with monthly income above the poverty threshold of not more than 50 percent shall pay P2,500 per month.
He said that as of now their focus is to impose fees to the people who are not residents here in the City and to residents who can afford to pay.
Free for indigent patients
“For those indigent clients or patients, they will still avail the services for free so no need for them to worry,” Al ag said.
To avail of free services, Al-ag said, the indigent drug dependent should secure a certificate of eligibility from the City Social Services and Development Office (CSSDO).
“A certificate of eligibility means that your income is above the poverty threshold, but at the time of the assessment your income cannot afford the services of the government, that is why you are now elegible to receive free service in our rehab center,” he said.
Based in the ordinance’s Chapter 2, Section 3 poverty threshold refers to the minimum income required or the minimum amount spent by a reference family to satisfy the nutritional requirements (2,000 calories) and other basic needs. This is determined by the Philippine Statistics. At present, the poverty threshold for Region XI is P99,837 annual income or P8,320 monthly income.
Al-ag said that the fees that will be collected will go directly to the general fund of the City. (davaotoday.com)
