68 Iloilo City barangays still drug-affected

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Only 68 of Iloilo City’s 180 barangays remain drug-affected, Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu said, adding she is optimistic more villages will be declared drug-cleared in the coming months.

Treñas-Chu said the city recently met with the City Health Office and partner agencies involved in drug-clearing operations to renew efforts to have all barangays cleared by the end of the year.

“As early as the second month of the year, they have already identified at least 20 barangays that can be declared drug-cleared again, and they have even exceeded their quarterly target,” the mayor said, noting the city initially aimed to clear more than 20 barangays per quarter.

The City Health Office assesses rehabilitation interventions, community programs and sustained anti-drug efforts as part of the validation process, Treñas-Chu said.

Treñas-Chu said that from the original list of drug-affected villages, only 68 barangays now remain subject to clearing operations.

A drug-cleared barangay is a village previously identified as drug-affected — meaning it had documented illegal drug users, pushers, dens or related activities — that has completed the Barangay Drug Clearing Program.

The designation is granted by the Regional Oversight Committee on Barangay Drug Clearing after verifying requirements that typically include a functional Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council, accounting for listed drug personalities through surrender, rehabilitation or arrest, and sustained community-based anti-drug efforts.

Treñas-Chu cited reforms aimed at streamlining monitoring of anti-drug efforts and harmonizing records across agencies.

“We appointed a new officer (in CHO) to ensure that our BADACs are closely monitored. Before, there were different lists from the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the police, and they were not uniform,” she said.

With consolidated data on the remaining areas for clearing, the mayor said operations will be more focused.

On community-based rehabilitation, Treñas-Chu said the city is developing more sustainable livelihood programs for drug surrenderers, shifting from small, individual assistance to larger, group-based enterprise support.

“We have earmarked initial funds of PHP 1 million for sustainable livelihood programs. Instead of giving a small capital of around PHP 20,000, we are looking at bigger support ranging from PHP 200,000 to PHP 500,000 so that the businesses can truly be sustainable,” she said.

While updated data on the number of surrenderers currently undergoing rehabilitation is still being consolidated, Treñas-Chu said the city is prioritizing post-rehabilitation support to help ensure former drug personalities are productively reintegrated into the community.