MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – According to a report by PRI The World, some of the Filipino drug users who have voluntarily surrendered to authorities are being sent to Zumba classes.

Since Philippines President Rodrigo Roa Duterte launched his administration’s war on drugs, more than half a million individuals have surrendered in order to avoid arrest or prosecution.  Others are coming forward for fear of possibly being killed in police or vigilante operations.

Because of the unexpected number of surrenderers, the government is unable to provide ample rehabilitation services due to lack of facilities.  

Many drug rehab centers are being set up in military camps, including one in Nueva Ecija province where a 10,000-bed capacity facility is expected to open soon. But these are hardly enough to cope with the massive response to the government’s campaign.

The PRI report, however, is incomplete. Zumba classes  are just the tip of the iceberg.

The Adobo Chronicles learned from highly reliable sources that many of the surrenderers are being referred to compulsory services and activities including yoga, Tai Chi, Karate, Piloxing, yoga, among others.

Surrenderers who are determined to be good anti-drug spokespersons are being enrolled in Toastmasters Club classes to improve on their communications skills.

Two of the nation’s television networks, ABS-CBN and GMA-7 have agreed to employ surrenderers who might be good dancers as back-up performers for their variety shows.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has also entered into a memorandum of agreement with the Duterte administration to utilize young and non-violent surrenderers as altar boys for Sunday and daily church services.

It takes a village to deal with the Philippines’ drug problem!