ILOILO City – The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Western Visayas is ending its 2019 antidrug campaign with 74.52 percent of the region’s 4,051 barangays declared as drug-cleared or “unaffected.”
According to Regional Director Alex Tablate, the 74.52 percent is equivalent to 3,018 barangays.
Here’s the percentage of the drug-cleared barangays per province:
* Antique – 98.31 percent of 590 barangays
* Aklan – 90.83 percent of 327 barangays
* Iloilo – 88.50 percent of 1,721 barangays
* Guimaras – 75. 51 percent of 98 barangays
* Capiz – 64.48 percent of 473 barangays
* Negros Occidental – 28.29 percent of 601 barangays
For the two highly urbanized cities in the region: Iloilo City – 33.89 percent of 180 barangays; Bacolod City – 13.12 percent of 61 barangays
“We have 25.48 percent more barangays to clear in 2020,” said Tablate who also chairs the Regional Oversight Committee (ROC).
During the 18th ROC meeting on Dec. 17, 142 barangays were declared as “drug-cleared.”
The ROC is composed of the Department of Interior and Local Government, Philippine National Police, Department of Health, and local government units, with PDEA as lead agency.
Tablate emphasized that securing a drug-cleared status is not enough for a barangay; it should maintain such status.
He also pushed for the establishment of “Balay Silangan” drug rehabilitation centers in each municipality and city. So far in Region 6, four Balay Silangan facilities have been established, he said.
Last month, the ROC has declared four Iloilo municipalities as drug-cleared. These were Miag-ao, Igbaras, Guimbal, and Dingle.
The component city of Pass was also declared as such.
Yesterday, the ROC also formally announced Bingawan as drug-cleared.
“I encourage local government units to stay steadfast in complying with the parameters set forth by Dangerous Drugs Board Regulation No. 3 series of 2017 so as to lower the percentage of drug affection in the barangays and ultimately, to make Western Visayas free from illegal drugs,” said Tablate.
These are the parameters:
* non-availability of drug supply
* absence of drug transit/transhipment activity
* absence of clandestine drug laboratory / drug warehouse / chemical warehouse
* absence of marijuana cultivation site
* absence of drug den / dive / resort
* absence of drug pusher / user / protector / financier
Board Regulation No. 3 series of 2017 also sets the following must-dos:
* active involvement of barangay officials in antidrug activities
* active involvement of the Sangguniang Kabataan to help maintain the drug-liberated status of the barangay
* drug awareness, preventive education and information, and other related programs
* voluntary and compulsory drug treatment and rehabilitation processing desk/PN
