On a Saturday morning, families arrive with food and refreshments at TCI Village, a government-
accredited rehabilitation facility in Amadeo, Cavite, for people suffering from substance use disorder (SUD).

Inside TCI’s newly constructed Graduates Hall, a male resident is delivering a talk, recalling the years when he was deep into drugs, admitting the period as a dark chapter in his life because his personality had changed.

Listening to him are members of his family and those of his co-residents at TCI.

Every month, TCI staff, led by program director and co-founder Jun Tan, conduct family support meetings, the primary goal of which is to inform the residents’ families on the phases and details of the rehab facility’s treatment and recovery program.

Family members who have benefited from the recovery experience are encouraged to share it with other families who need guidance on how to deal with their sons and daughters once they finish the TCI program.

Korean guests

On this day, too, a group of Koreans join the family support meeting. The Koreans are guests of TCI. They are here to observe its program method.

Kim Eun-Sil, assistant professor, Department of Addiction and Rehabilitation Counseling at Namseoul University in South Korea, says people with SUD undergo individualized programs to suit each person’s needs.

“The main theory is based on behavior modification and lifestyle change,” she says.

She points out that TCI uses a holistic approach that incorporates professional counseling and psychotherapy, both of which are part of what she teaches at Namseoul.

Recently, TCI founders Tan, Joel Chavez and Joey Ibañez went to Namseoul to attend training workshops on the Certified Recovery Specialist (CRS) course.

Son Hyundong, professor at Gwangju National University of Education in South Korea, revealed that abuse of methamphetamine and tranquilizers, is becoming a problem in his country. “The government didn’t think it was a problem, so it was not interested in treatment programs, until lately,” Son says.

Kim agrees that in treating drug addiction, recovery is a crucial process.

At TCI, residents undergo three phases. The primary/intensive phase is the orientation to the rules, norms, duties and culture of the treatment program.

In the reentry/integration phase, residents are gradually integrated back into society through structured days off.

In the aftercare phase, which is the completion of the program, residents participate in support groups, meetings and discussions to maintain sobriety and engage in a productive lifestyle.

Aside from the Philippines, TCI’s Korean guests also went to Japan and Malaysia to observe drug rehab methods.

“We want to know how it’s done in other countries,” Son says. “In Korea, rehab is done in hospitals.”

Guest speaker

Meanwhile, TCI cofounder Ibañez was guest speaker on a drug information symposium held recently at his high school alma mater, San Isidro College, in Malaybalay, Bukidnon.

Ibañez talked about his personal experience and his involvement in TCI.

Good news

Tan also relayed the good news that two TCI graduates have been hired to work at the Laguna International Industrial Park in Mamplasan, Biñan, Laguna.

“These are senior residents who don’t have a family, financial support and a safe environment,” Tan says. “We give opportunities for work and housing in the group of companies of TCI founders and connect them with other recovering brothers and sisters for gainful employment.”

Visit TCI Village on facebook.com/pg/tcivillage;
contact 0977-8140656, 0949-9967357, 0917-5457519; e-mail [email protected]