60 more WV barangays declared ‘drug cleared’

By Jennifer P. Rendon

 

The number of drug-cleared barangays in Western Visayas has grown to 3,234 as more villages hurdled the latest deliberation of the Regional Oversight Committee on Dangerous Drugs (ROCDD).

Ma. Graziella Tanaleon, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency 6 (PDEA-6) spokesperson, said 60 more barangays passed the screening and assessment during the 22nd ROCDD conducted on Nov 5, 2020.

The additional 60 villages successfully presented and defended their applications and folders in compliance with the parameters of the Barangay Drug Clearing Program mandated by Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) Reg. No. 3 series of 2017.

With the latest development, 79.83 percent of the 4,051 barangays in the region have already been cleared by the BDCP-ROC in Region 6.

Iloilo province has the most number of drug cleared barangays at 26. Of the said number, 14 are in Dumangas town, 7 in Sara, 3 in Banate, and 2 in Sta. Barbara.

Negros Occidental added 19 more barangays – Isabela, 4; Cauayan, 3; two each in Ilog and Sagay City; and one in Bago, Kabankalan, La Castellana, Pontevedra, Sipalay, Talisay, and Valladolid.

Capiz has 11 additional drug-cleared barangays. Seven are in Dumarao town, two in Sapian, and one each in Jamindan and President Roxas.

Iloilo City logged three more barangays and one in Aklan.

Several months ago, the PDEA-6 said the “new normal” was the main reason why Western Visayas’ drug-clearing initiatives have slowed down.

But as it braced for the new normal, the Barangay Drug Clearing Officers in different provinces have set models to increase the efforts to further decrease drug affectation in the region.

Meanwhile, Tanaleon vowed that PDEA-6 will continue to closely collaborate with the concerned counterparts to increase the number of barangays to be cleared through proper implementation of DDB Regulation no. 3 series of 2017 and the Omnibus Procedures in Declaring a Drug Affected Barangay as Drug Cleared.