The Municipality of San Simon joins the race in becoming the second LGU to be declared as a drug-cleared municipality in the Province of Pampanga as it reopens the Balay Silangan Reformation Center in a ceremony conducted on October 15, 2024. It can be recalled that the Reformation Center was inadvertently closed and was used as an Isolation Facility during the time of Covid - 19 pandemic.
Reaffirming his commitment to provide a shelter to support and rehabilitate the individuals who succumbed to the pleasures of the illegal substance, Mayor Abundio S. Punzalan Jr., said that “pro-life ako, bigyan natin ng pagkakataon na magbagong buhay ang mga naligaw ng landas. Yan ang aking misyon at adhikain.”
Joining the event as he lauded the determination of the municipality to prioritize anti-illegal programs, PDEA OIC Amir M. Estanislao emphasized the importance of the Reformation Center in providing the crucial intervention to assist the drug users in their quest for reintegration to mainstreamed society. He continued that, “ang pagbubukas ng Bahay Silangan ay nangagahulugan ng kahandaan, malasakit at wagas na paglilingkod ng bayan upang masugpo ang illegal na droga.”
For her part, DILG Provincial Director Myra B. Moral-Soriano, CESO V urged the officials to be vigilant and sustain the combined efforts of all stakeholders in fostering initiatives that would create a lasting impact and address the challenges of the community.
Bahay Silangan is a program under the Dangerous Drugs Board for community engagement that provides intercession in ensuring that drug offenders are better equipped in returning to society.
