ILOILO City – The municipality of Concepcion, Iloilo is set to be declared a drug-free town by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 6 next month.
PDEA-6 director, Alex Tablate, said the town has already complied with the agency’s parameters that include the creation of Balay Silangan for the rehabilitation of drug personalities.
The town’s Balay Silangan was inaugurated on Friday in Barangay Loong.
Tablate said Concepcion will be the sixth drug-free town in the province this year should the town passed the series of assessment.
But how can towns become drug-free?
According to Department of Interior and Local Government, a municipality can be declared “drug-cleared” or free from illegal drug activities if it meets these six requirements:
* Non-availability of drug supply
* Absence of drug den, pusher, user
* Absence of clandestine drug laboratory
* Active involvement of barangay officials in anti-drug activities
* Existence of drug awareness, preventive education and information
* Existence of voluntary and compulsory drug treatment and rehabilitation processing desk
According to Tablate, these requirements are mandated under Dangerous Drugs Board Regulation No. 3 series of 2017.
“We are now polishing all the requirements and next month we have to declare the municipality of Concepcion as drug-cleared town. Kasi na comply na nila ang requirements at may tatlo nilang na barangay na e-clear and we are confident that these three barangays will be cleared soonest,” said Tablate./PN
